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Smith named 2014 CUaware Protégé; McGee and Pace runners-up

COLUMBIA, SC and RALEIGH, NC (September 9, 2014) — Micah Smith of Easley, SC was named “CUaware Protégé” on Saturday, September 6 during the 2014 Carolinas Credit Union League Leadership Conference. Micah will serve for one year as dual-state spokesperson for young adults and the opportunities credit unions provide them. Smith, who is member service specialist at SC Telco Federal Credit Union, will have a position on the CUaware Leadership Council, with additional opportunities for outreach to be coordinated by CUaware.

Smith achieved the honor by combination of scores on a standard exam and on his presentation during the finals competition at the CCUL Leadership Conference. All finalists’ presentations were judged by the panel of CCUF President/CEO John McGrail, Carolina Postal Credit Union VP Marketing & Business Dev. Deb McLean, and Barry Thompson of Thompson Consulting Group.

“On behalf of the entire CUaware family, we congratulate Micah on being named this year’s CUaware Protégé,” said Brandon McAdams, consumer lending product development manager for Coastal Federal Credit Union and CUaware co-founder. “This program saw an amazing outpouring of talent in credit union young professionals, and I believe this is just the beginning. We look forward to working with Micah to help push CUaware and the credit union movement forward.”

Smith, along with first runner-up Hannah McGee (Palmetto Citizens FCU) and second runner-up Corey Pace (SC Federal CU), will choose from these developmental scholarships:

  • Southeast CUNA Management School (Athens, GA) – One-year registration, valued at more than $1,300 (requires commitment to three-year program)
  • NYIB 2015 Annual Conference (San Antonio, TX) – Registration and lodging, valued at $1,300
  • CCUL Hike the Hill (Washington, DC) – Full participation including airfare and lodging, valued at $1,000
  • Principles & Philosophy Conference Scholarship – Includes tuition ($750), two nights lodging, and meals.

“The CUaware Protégé Program has proven itself as an excellent avenue for enabling young professionals to develop themselves,” said Smith. “I consider myself very blessed to be a participant in the program. I would also like to express my thanks to each of my coworkers at SC Telco. Their support and encouragement through this process has been tremendous. My desire is that I will be worthy of the continued investment made by CCUL and SC Telco.”

Also during the Leadership Conference, SC Federal Credit Union’s Troy Hall introduced a new Protégé-aligned mentorship pilot to extend off-stage development of young professionals. Under the CUaware banner, the Protégé Mentor Program partners chapter protégés with credit union leaders for cross-cultural impact and creates an atmosphere for new perspectives, personal growth, and development opportunities.

“I look forward to participating in the CUaware Protégé Mentor Program,” Smith said. “I am confident that this time spent with a seasoned credit union professional will prove to be invaluable.”

For more on the CUaware Protégé Competition or Protégé Mentor Program, see resource links below.

Additional Resources

CUaware Protégé Competition webpage

CUaware Protégé Mentor Program brochure

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