Area professional named a national Credit Union Rock Star

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Allison Barna, CUANY's VP of member services and Foundation

ALBANY, NY (11/12/2014)(readMedia)-- For Immediate Release

November 12, 2014

Contact: Ronald McLean, Senior Vice President

(800) 342-9835, ext. 8191 | Ronald.McLean@cuany.org

Area professional named a national Credit Union Rock Star

(ALBANY, N.Y.) – Local professional Allison Barna, vice president of member services at the Credit Union Association of New York (CUANY), was recently named one of 46 "Credit Union Rock Stars" by the industry's largest trade publication, Credit Union Magazine. The prestigious designation honors professionals who have demonstrated outstanding innovation and creativity in their field, and made the credit union movement a more interesting place.

Barna received the Rock Star designation largely for her work as head of the New York Credit Union Foundation, CUANY's charitable arm. Specifically, Barna was responsible for helping the foundation amass $150,000 in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Thanks to her efforts, the state's credit unions and their members received critical funds that were used to assist in the storm's recovery.

The magazine also praised Barna for her work with CUANY's Young Professionals Commission, a statewide group of 35-and-younger credit union professionals who are tasked with engaging young credit union employees and volunteers.

"We kept hearing about how many CEOs were nearing retirement without necessarily having anyone in place to succeed them, and decided we needed to help credit unions find and retain younger employees," Barna told Credit Union Magazine. "We want to help young people develop their skills and their passion for credit unions so they'll stay invested in the movement."

In addition to her work with the commission and foundation, Barna also supports CUANY's Member Outreach and Reinvestment Endeavor (MORE). Each year, CUANY produces a detailed MORE Report, which highlights thousands of community involvement initiatives carried out by the state's credit unions. The report is shared with legislators, the media and the public in an effort to raise awareness about the many positive contributions credit unions make in their local communities.

"The Credit Union Association of New York is extremely proud to congratulate Allison on her recent 'Rock Star' designation," said William J. Mellin, CUANY president and CEO. "She is a passionate advocate who exemplifies the credit union philosophy. Those of us who work closely with Allison are not surprised that she was named among this elite group of professionals."

For more information on Barna's designation, or to view the complete list of Credit Union Rock Stars, visit the Credit Union Magazine website: http://www.creditunionmagazine.com/rockstar

The Credit Union Association of New York has served as the trade association for the state's credit unions for 96 years. New York credit unions have assets of more than $66 billion and over 5 million memberships. To learn more about CUANY, visit www.cuany.org. To find a credit union or learn more about the credit union movement, visit www.asmarterchoice.org.