Simpson delivers touching commencement address at WCMS as 2024 graduates honor and celebrate credit union movement
108 Students Launch into Leadership During Graduation Ceremony
CLAREMONT, CA (July 29, 2024) — After three examinations, two projects, and several virtual and in-person sessions, the Western CUNA Management School (WCMS) “Phi” Class was celebrated and honored last night at Pomona College in Claremont, CA. The ceremony for 108 graduates marked the conclusion of the 64th annual session of WCMS and the 62nd graduation commencement.
The Phi Class took great pride in recognizing WCMS’s previous 61 alumni classes. Graduating students looked to the future of their work in the credit union movement after starting their WCMS journey three years ago, completing the rigorous two-week leadership educational program each summer in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
This year’s commencement ceremony, held in Bridges Hall of Music on the Pomona College campus, marked another milestone, with various acknowledgments during the session, including a spotlight on the service-learning objectives for all three WCMS classes in attendance.
During last night’s graduation, WCMS President Diana Dykstra (1992 graduate) — who recently retired as the president and CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues — challenged each student to accomplish great endeavors for their credit union and their members.
Commencement speaker Scott Simpson — president and CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues and Utah’s Credit Unions — encouraged and inspired students to accomplish great things on behalf of their members when they return to their credit unions. “Our movement is the cumulative effect of billions of decisions, choices, and actions of the people you work with and the people who came before us,” he said. “There are a lot of stories — and it’s the sum of those individual stories that make this the great social movement that it is. I am grateful to be a part of Western CUNA Management School and all that happens here, all that it stands for, and everything that this movement is.”
Simpson added: “Phi Class, you are the stewards of this grand experiment. Tonight, you get the keys to the kingdom. I am honored to spend the energy that I have in my career to defend what all of you do for a living; it is absolutely worth it. When somebody dares to say there’s no difference between what you do at a credit union and what they do at a bank, remind them that the difference means everything to our members.”
Several Phi students graduated with “High Honors” and “Honors.” These distinctions were earned based on each student’s performance on the examinations taken by all students at the end of each school year and for their analysis in each of their two major research projects (based on their credit union) completed between sessions.
California students graduating with “High Honors” and “Honors” were:
- Year-Two Examination High Honors: Michelle Brands-Giesea; Li Cheng; and Alissa Mojica.
- Project-Two High Honors: Michelle Brands-Giesea; Li Cheng; and Alissa Mojica.
- Year-Two Examination Honors: Tyrone Conde; Timothy Jung; Natalie Reggio; and Holly Martindale.
- Project-Two Honors: Jesus Berumen; Joseph Coffman; Timothy Jung; Holly Martindale; Victor Mendoza; Alex Saldana; Elise Schexnayder; and Mark Zikry.
Nevada students graduating with “High Honors” and “Honors” were:
- Year-Two Examination High Honors: Paulina Urantowska-Torres.
- Project-Two High Honors: Paulina Urantowska-Torres.
- Year-Two Examination Honors: (none).
- Project-Two Honors: (none).
In his charge to the graduates, Dr. Michael Steinberger, dean and chief academic officer for WCMS, reflected on the legacies several alumni have bestowed on the credit union movement. He was honored to bestow diplomas on the following students:
- Graduates from California (by last name): Jesus Berumen, Michelle Brands-Giesea, Mark Cardella, Hiram Carrington, Li Cheng, Kim ChhemThomas, Joseph Coffman, Julia Coleson, Tyrone Conde, Marco DeGroen, Gilbert Del Real, Martha Dominguez, Sandy Duarte, Chrystine Elstad, Christiana Hancock, Christopher Hand, Janelle Harvey, Francisca Hernandez Ortiz, Nazreen Jalil, Timothy Jung, Martin Lara, Dave Mard, Holly Martindale, Tania Martinez, Victor Mendoza, Alissa Mojica, Sara Morales, Nina Nunez, Fermin Parra, Jaqueline Perez, Natalie Reggio, Alex Saldana, Kanti Sarker, Elise Schexnayder, Bebe Souvannavong, John Thomas, Kim Viola, Stephanie Young, and Mark Zikry.
- Graduates from Nevada (by last name): Therly Baker, Nelida Espinoza, and Paulina Urantowska-Torres.
This year’s graduating class continued with the long-standing tradition of paying it forward to future leaders and giving back to WCMS funds it earned in service-learning activities. The graduating class gift of $23,000 represents the total raised over the past three years in Phi Class and tri-class led efforts.
In addition, the graduating 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 every year. This year’s recipient was Elise Schexnayder, credit union solutions and relationship manager for the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues.
David Ellings, former director of campus activities for WCMS (1989 graduate), and Nancy Wood, former director of school administration for WCMS (2000 graduate), both received this year’s James D. Likens Alumni Recognition Award for significant achievements in the credit union field since graduating from the school. Their lifetime of accomplishments, volunteerism, and achievements were duly recognized.
Josh Harden, class commencement speaker from Colorado, received the Rick Craig Prize for Excellence in Project II. The award recognizes superb excellence in a student’s second-year WCMS project, an endeavor usually taking each student more than 200 hours to complete.
Commencement Speaker Scott Simpson, president and CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues and Utah’s Credit Unions.
The 2024 Western CUNA Management School (WCMS) graduating Phi Class.
About Western CUNA Management School
For more than 60 years, Western CUNA Management School has helped credit union management staff meet the challenges of the future. WCMS is the West Coast-based leadership and philosohical institution for current and future credit union leaders, preparing individuals with the depth and breadth they need to contribute to their credit union’s success, the credit union movement, and their own personal career goals.
California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues
Headquartered in Ontario, California, the Leagues exist to help credit unions change people’s lives by supporting their operations, guidance, strategy and philosophy. Our trade association helps local credit unions in California serve nearly 13.8 million members and those in Nevada serve almost 400,000 members. Credit unions are for people, not profit!
