LAWRENCE, Mass.--Merrimack Valley Credit Union President & CEO John J. Howard has received the U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo Memorial Award from the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The award honors U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, a Lawrence, Mass., native who was killed during the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021. The 25-year-old sergeant had volunteered to assist Afghan women and children with evacuation efforts when the tragic incident occurred, killing her and twelve other American soldiers.
Howard was one of four panelists for the MVCC’s annual veterans breakfast. He was joined by retired Brigadier General John J. Driscoll, army veteran and Haverhill businessman Michael Malvers, and David Morales, general manager at UniCare.
“The Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce Veterans Assistance Committee looks for former veterans who have served their country with distinction, who have served their community in the quest to help others in need and who have entered the world of business and risen to a position of leadership,” says Joe Bevilacqua, president and CEO of the MVCC. “John Howard has met and exceeded each of these criteria.”