Local Professional Inducted Into Hall of Fame

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Mariani award photo

ALBANY, NY (10/29/2008)(readMedia)-- Long-time credit union professional Alfred J. Mariani, of Syracuse NY, was inducted into the Credit Union Association of New York's Hall of Fame at their 2008 Annual Convention earlier this month at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, NY.

Hall of Fame honors are awarded to individuals who have devoted their life to the philosophy and success of the credit union movement, and have had a significant impact on credit unions at the local, state or national level.

"Alfred was more than an active participant at his credit union," said William J. Mellin, president and CEO of the Association. "He was active on every level of the credit union movement. His dedication throughout his 40 plus years in the industry has had a positive impact on the stature and growth of his credit union and the movement as a whole."

Mariani was first employed by a credit union in the late 1940's following the end of WWII. He served as treasurer of Oneida FCU and later as treasurer of Bendix FCU. In 1952, he was hired as a field representative for the Syracuse chapter by Sidney Stahl, the first managing director of what was then the New York State Credit Union League. The focus of the position was to organize credit unions and he did just that, organizing more than 100 credit unions from Binghamton to Massena and nurturing them to health and prosperity over the next 14 years.

In 1966, Mariani moved on, becoming the manager/CEO of Syracuse University FCU, growing it from a troubled $766,000 in assets to a vibrant $10 million credit union by his retirement in 1982. Throughout his tenure in the industry Mariani served in various capacities including: League volunteer, president of the Syracuse chapter, director-at-large, Syracuse chapter director, and first vice president. Mariani was also a national director of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), founding member of Members United Corporate FCU and a member of CUNA Mutual's Policyowner's Board. He had the honor of being the Association's first two-term president (chairman). A term highlighted by the move of the organization's headquarters from Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to Western Avenue in Albany.

Syracuse University FCU changed its name to Sunfirst FCU, and in 1995, the credit merged with Syracuse FCU.

Chartered in 1959, Syracuse FCU currently has 22,000 members and more than $115 million in assets. For more information about Syracuse FCU, visit www.syracusefcu.org.

The Credit Union Association of New York has served as the trade association for the state's credit unions for 91 years. It is the fifth largest league in the country. New York credit unions have assets of more than $40 billion and 4.2 million members. To learn more about the Association, visit www.cuany.org.

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Photo caption: Credit Union Association of New York's 2008 Hall of Fame Inductee Alfred J. Mariani