Fairfax County Federal Credit Union Volunteer Jake Lay Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

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Virginia’s credit unions saluted longtime volunteer John C. "Jake" Lay for his service to the movement. Presenting the award is Virginia Credit Union League President Rick Pillow.

LYNCHBURG, VA (04/14/2011)(readMedia)-- Virginia's credit unions saluted longtime credit union volunteer John C. "Jake" Lay for his service to the movement during a special presentation April 8 at the Virginia Credit Union League's 77th Annual Meeting in Norfolk, Virginia. Lay was awarded the League's prestigious James P. Kirsch Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes individuals for extraordinary service to their credit union and the greater credit union community.

Lay began his service as a credit union volunteer in 1969, first serving as a member of the credit committee at Fairfax County Federal Credit Union. In 1976, he joined the credit union's volunteer board of directors, becoming the board's chairman in 1978, a position he's held to the present day.

"For me, it all started because the credit union had an office at work," says Lay. "After serving on the credit and supervisory committees as a volunteer, I was hooked. I stayed in the movement because I love our 'People Helping People' philosophy; I love the fact that service to our members comes first."

"I guess, I'm fortunate, too, that my wife [Betsy] understands my need to be involved in credit unions," he says. "She's been truly tolerant of the time I've devoted to educating myself about credit unions and consumer finance, and serving the movement."

Lay's service to the movement has been remarkable. In addition to his 40-plus years of service to Fairfax County Federal Credit Union, he served for 20 years on the board of directors of what is now Beacon Credit Union, which is based in Lynchburg, Virginia. He spent nine years as a volunteer member of the board of directors for the Virginia Credit Union League, the statewide trade association for the Commonwealth's credit unions. During the past four decades, he's also served on, and in some cases chaired, various statewide working committees of the League, including its Chapter-League Relations Committee, Annual Meeting Committee, Budget and Dues Committee, the Virginia Credit Union Foundation Study Committee, and the Resolutions Committee.

He has remained active in the work of the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Virginia Credit Union League, which offers training and networking opportunities to credit unions headquartered in Northern Virginia. He's also served as a national director to the Credit Union National Association, the largest national trade association for America's credit unions, and he's worked in the legislative and regulatory arenas, fighting to ensure credit unions remain a viable alternative to the nation's for-profit banks.

More extraordinary is his accomplishments in earning various education and training honors in consumer finance, credit union governance issues, and cooperative banking principles. Early in his volunteer service, he completed more than 180 hours of correspondence courses focused on credit union service.

He has also been active in the U.S. and international credit union systems' development educators programs, which promote credit unions' unique member-owned, not-for-profit structure and research ways to leverage that unique business model for the benefit of members, the credit union itself, and our communities. Lay was one of the first Americans certified in the United Kingdom's Development Educators Program, an honor he earned in 2006, and he was among a select group of credit union leaders to earn the International Credit Union Development Educators designation in 2009.

His work with the international credit union movement led him to participate in the World Council of Credit Union's inaugural Cooperative Learning Tour in Ecuador in 2007, a mission designed to study cooperative banking systems and Hispanic culture.

Lay is also the 2008 recipient of the Eugene Ball Award, given annually by the National Association of Credit Union Chairmen to recognize a credit union leader who exemplifies the qualities demonstrated by the late Eugene Ball, a credit union icon and past chairman of Virginia-based Pentagon Federal Credit Union.

"Education has been such an important part of my credit union experience because I felt I owed it to my credit union and fellow members to learn as much as I could about banking systems and consumer finance, so I could best serve them," says Lay. "I think a willingness to serve, a willingness to volunteer is only part of it; you also must be willing to educate yourself, so you understand the responsibilities and you're best able to serve the interests of your fellow credit union members."

"I joke sometimes that I've been a volunteer for 42 years, and I really want to make it to that 50-year milestone," Lay says with a grin. "The truth is I feel really blessed to have served the credit union movement. I'm proud of our 'People Helping People' philosophy; I think there's a reason and a purpose for credit unions. Maybe more than ever it's important that the American population can turn to credit unions, and maybe now we have a chance to show what credit unions can mean to everyday people."

The James P. Kirsch Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes those individuals who have unselfishly devoted their time and energy to ensuring a brighter, better future for credit unions. It is named in honor of the late James P. "Jimmy" Kirsch, a longtime credit union volunteer whose passion for the movement led him to leadership roles at the state, national and international levels.