Local Resident Receives Volunteer Award

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Messina & award photo

ALBANY, NY (10/29/2008)(readMedia)-- Ghent resident, Thomas Messina, was named the 2008 Outstanding Volunteer in under $20 million asset category by the Credit Union Association of New York at their 2008 Annual Convention recently held in Niagara Falls, NY.

Volunteer of the Year recognizes an individual whose work furthers the credit union "people helping people" philosophy.

"Volunteers like Tom are an essential part of what makes credit unions uniquely able to help members build toward a better financial future," said William J. Mellin, president/CEO of the Association.

Messina has been a member of Columbia Greene FCU's board of directors for more than 20 years, serving on their Scholarship, Loan Review and IT committees. As if that wasn't enough, Messina has also taken on the responsibility of maintaining the credit union's facilities. He can frequently be seen changing light bulbs, moving furniture and climbing on their roof to fix gutters. A retired chemistry teacher, Messina has even encouraged staff to add to his running "honey-do" list, which hangs on a door in the back room of the credit union's Hudson branch.

Messina is also a frequent participant in many of the credit union's member and community activities, serving as the "griller" at the annual member appreciation barbeque, driving the credit union's float for Hudson's annual Flag Day parade and assembling tables for street festivals. Another plus are the homemade muffins or garbage bread he frequently delivers to credit union staff.

Chartered in 1974, Columbia Greene FCU has more than $21 million in assets and serves just shy of 5,000 members. For more information about Columbia Greene FCU, please visit www.cgfcu.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: Thomas Messina, Credit Union Association of New York's 2008 Volunteer of the Year.