ORLANDO, FL (June 21, 2024) |
On Thursday, June 13, 2024, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates (LSCU & Affiliates) presented the Professional and Young Professional of the Year Awards at the 2024 Southeast Credit Union Conference & Expo (SCUCE) in Orlando, Florida. The LSCU Awards program recognizes credit unions and credit union professionals who demonstrate exemplary service and accomplish significant achievements in the credit union industry.
The Professional of the Year Award recognizes credit union professionals for their impactful contributions to advance the credit union movement in their state and/or the nation.
The winners of the Professional of the Year Award are:
- Derrick E. Ragland, Jr., of APCO Employees Credit Union (Alabama)
- Laurie Cappelli of Community Credit Union of Florida (Florida)
- Diane McCoy of Rome Kraft Employees Credit Union (Georgia)
“I am deeply honored by this award,” said Ragland. “When I started at APCO 43 years ago, never could I have imagined all the lives I’d get to touch and the many, many people who would touch mine. Credit unions bring out the best in humanity, and I’m grateful to have spent my career serving alongside some of the greatest people I’d ever want to know.”
“With the overwhelming number of amazing, service-minded leaders making real differences throughout our industry, I am so humbled by this award,” expressed Cappelli. “The credit union motto of ‘people helping people’ is more than just a slogan; it’s at the core of everything we do, and I thank my team at Community Credit Union of Florida for embodying that selfless passion every day as we serve our members and community.”
“This recognition is the result of decades of hard work, but not just mine,” said McCoy. “Perhaps more than any other industry, credit union people are a collaborative, helpful, service-focused bunch, and it’s largely because of the leaders who poured into me early on, the colleagues who challenge me toward greatness every day, and the many people from across the industry who continue to inspire me that I’ve been able to accomplish anything of significance in the credit union space. It may be my name on the award, but this is a collective effort, and I will always be grateful to everyone who made it possible.”
“We are thrilled to honor these leaders with the Professional of the Year Award for their critical role in inspiring their peers, effecting positive change, and serving their members and peers in ways that go far above and beyond,” announced Samantha Beeler, President of LSCU. “With close to a century in collective experience working in the credit union space, Derrick, Laurie, and Diane have left incredible marks on our industry, while also inspiring countless other leaders to follow in their footsteps and stand on the shoulder of these industry giants toward an even greater future.”
The Young Professional of the Year award recognizes an outstanding affiliated credit union professional, age 40 or under, who has demonstrated proven dedication and enthusiasm for the credit union movement. LSCU & Affiliates is excited to announce that Grant Abbott from Florida State University Credit Union is the winner of the 2024 Young Professional of the Year Award.
“I am so humbled by this honor,” stated Abbott. “I offer my deepest gratitude to the many leaders who have paved the way for our movement, taking young professionals like me under their wing and inspiring us toward greatness. I’m excited to be a part of the amazing things our movement has and will continue to accomplish together in the years to come.”
“Grant Abbott is an innovative and inspiring leader in the credit union movement and undoubtedly deserving of this award,” shared Beeler. “Beyond his exceptional service to his credit union’s members and staff, he is the president of his regional credit union chapter, and he is even serving as mentor to a number of other young professionals. Truly an inspiration for the next generation of credit union leaders from within its own ranks!”
Next year’s LSCU Awards will be presented at the inaugural ENGAGE Conference, LSCU’s rebranded annual convention formerly known as SCUCE.