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2003 Highlights

19 GRADUATE WITH HONORS FROM WESTERN CUNA MANAGEMENT SCHOOL
Utah Student Is Third in School's History to Merit Highest Honors

Seven students graduated with high honors – and for the third consecutive year another graduated with highest honors – and were inducted into the Hall of Fame, while eleven more students graduated with honors from the 44th session of Western CUNA Management School, held July 13-25 at Pomona College in Claremont, California.

The 2003 Graduating Class of Western CUNA Management School

Out of a total of 409 students attending in 2003, 143 were first-year students, 130 were second-year students, and 136 were third-year students.

Over a three-year period, students have five opportunities to earn academic honors. “Honors” and “High Honors” are awarded to the highest achievers on the examinations taken by all students at the end of each school year. Students may also earn “Honors” and “High Honors” for the analysis of each of their two projects. To be inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame, students need to have received honors in five out of five categories.

For the third time in as many years, one student, Vickie van der Have, Utah Central CU, Utah, earned high honors in all five categories, and was awarded “Highest Honors.”
Earning “High Honors” were Timothy Ashcraft, Hawaii Community FCU, Hawaii; Richard Evans, Goldenwest CU, Utah; Jim McCarthy, Twin County CU, Wash.; Thayne Shaffer, America First CU, Utah; Chris Shiomi, Norton Community CU, Calif.; Timothy Sidley, Western Corporate FCU, Calif.; Annalisa Vernon, Deseret First CU, Utah.
“Honors” students this year were Nathan Abe, HFS FCU, Hawaii; Cheri Anderson, Pyramid CU, Ariz.; Marilyn Austin, DM FCU, Ariz.; Susan Chesnut, Desert Schools FCU, Ariz.; Todd Clemens, High Desert FCU, Calif.; Steven Fifield, Cyprus CU, Utah; Rick Hoffman, L.A. Financial CU, Calif.; Gary Ingersoll, Xerox FCU, Calif.; Steven Langley, Travis CU, Calif.; Kenneth Nagy, Travis CU, Calif.; Kerstin Plemel, Greater Nevada CU, Nev.

In addition, every year the senior student who best represents high moral character, leadership, credit union dedication and academic achievement is nominated by his or her class to receive the Charles M. Clark Memorial Award. The 2003 recipient of this award was Thayne Shaffer, America First CU, Utah.

The graduating class presented a gift of over $30,000 to Western CUNA Management School. The students of all three classes also organized a live and silent auction as a benefit for the school, and raised more than $14,000.

Joanne LeCouvre Kersey, retired President and CEO of O.S.U. FCU, Ore., was named as the 13th recipient of the James D. Likens Alumni Recognition Award, founded by the Alumni Association of Western CUNA Management School. Kersey was recognized for her outstanding credit union career and credit union service.

James D. Holt, president and CEO of the Colorado and Wyoming Credit Union Leagues, delivered the commencement address at the July 24 graduation ceremony in the Bridges Hall of Music on the Pomona College campus.

Students attended from the Western states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Other states represented were Texas and Virginia.

WCMS is dedicated to helping credit union professionals keep pace with the rapidly changing business environment. The curriculum at WCMS includes classes on management, economics, legal and ethical standards, money and financial institutions, communications and leadership. WCMS students take classes six hours a day, five days a week, over three two-week terms over consecutive summers. Students also have organized activities outside the classroom.

California is one of 13 states participating in Western CUNA Management School. School administration is conducted from the California Credit Union League headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

© 2008 Western CUNA Management School