ARLINGTON, Va.–The National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors announced the winners of its 2020-2021 Pierre Jay Award, which is the highest honor presented by the association.
The award, named after Pierre Jay the first Commissioner of Banks in Massachusetts and first credit union regulator in the United States, recognizes those with proven service, commitment, and leadership to NASCUS and the state-charter system.
“This honor highlights individuals who have made considerable impact to our state-chartered system. We celebrate their accomplishments to recognize their contributions and inspire others to achieve collaborative greatness,” said Lucy Ito, president and CEO. “The selection committee and I are proud to honor each one of them as a Pierre Jay Award recipient.”
NASCUS said the winners were chosen by a panel of their peers and will be honored at a virtual event scheduled for April 22.
The Honorees
The honorees are:
- Patty Idol, former president & CEO of Mountain Credit Union in Waynesville, N.C. Idol started her career as a branch manager. Over the past 35 years, she rose through the ranks to become chair of the NASCUS Credit Union Advisory Council, chair of the Carolinas Credit Union League (CCUL) board and president of the Western Chapter of CCUL. She conveyed a life of volunteering, serving, and helping others.
“Idol fought tirelessly on behalf of credit unions and their members as an advocate at both the State Capitol in Raleigh, N.C., and Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.,” NASCUS said.
- Kim Santos, director at the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions in Madison. Santos started her career as a credit union examiner in 1992. Since 2013, she has been appointed to oversee Wisconsin’s 118 state-chartered credit unions by a bipartisan group of Wisconsin Governors. She is highly respected in the industry and has served on several NASCUS committees, including the Board of Directors, Legislative and Regulatory Committee, and with the National Institute of State Credit Union Examination (NISCUE), NASCUS stated.
“[Santos] has maintained belief in the credit union motto “people helping people” and kept Wisconsin’s credit union members always front and center in her decision-making process,” said NASCUS.
- Sarah Vega, former chief of staff to Mark McWatters and senior policy advisor at NCUA in Alexandria, Va. NASCUS said Vega has shown continuous leadership over the course of her career, from her role as Director at the Illinois Division of Financial Institutions, to working with the National Credit Union Administration as chief of staff to Chairman McWatters. Her years of advocacy ensured that state-chartered credit unions had a seat at the table. Furthermore, Vega was the first chief of staff to serve under two different NCUA chairmen. “It is easy to say that she has dedicated her career to credit unions and ensuring a safe, sound, and robust credit union system at both state and federal levels, ensuring that the state system was taken into consideration,” said NASCUS.