Roseville, Minn. (10/2/07) – In less than one year, in an effort carried out almost entirely by volunteers across the country, Financial Women International launched a membership and re-branding initiative so successful that the organization exceeded its recruitment and retention goals for 2006-2007.

That’s just one of the many successes FWI, and the FWI Foundation, celebrated at the 85th Annual FWI Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The organization also recognized the achievement of individuals and partners with awards and scholarships.

FWI honored Brenda Anderson, vice president at Valley Bank and Trust Co. in Wauneta, Neb., with this year’s Virginia D.H. Furman Outstanding Member of the Year award.

An FWI member since 1992, Anderson was the 2006-2007 president of the FWI Nebraska District.  In that role, she conducted monthly conference calls to keep members actively involved, promoting retention and recruitment of new members.

Named for FWI’s first president, the Virginia D.H. Furman award is presented each year to the FWI member who demonstrates exceptional achievement in the association.

Each year, the association also awards two scholarships, open to both FWI members and non-members. This year’s scholarship recipients are:

• Danni Gilchrist, vice president at Premier Commercial Bank in Anaheim, Calif., who has earned the FWI Foundation Scholarship to attend the three-year program at Graduate School of Banking, Colorado.
• Selina Parrish, director of membership for the Kentucky Bankers Association in Louisville, who has earned the Women in Banking Scholarship to attend the three-year program at Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The FWI Foundation has partnered with the two distinct schools to provide the scholarship opportunities, each of which grants a significant credit toward tuition, room and board.

The awards and scholarships are examples of the many ways FWI promotes professional development. As the longest-standing association devoted to the advancement of women in the banking and financial services industry, FWI provides a supportive, encouraging environment for education, networking, and leadership training.

Earlier this year, FWI and the FWI Foundation kicked off a rebranding initiative to better reach women in the 25- to 40-year-old demographic that included a new logo and tagline, a redesigned web site and magazine, several new educational programs exclusive to FWI and enhanced member benefits.

In addition, the Foundation conducted a new study, The Leadership Gap™, on how women can better meet the future leadership needs of the industry. Another study, Women at the Top™, regularly examines the progress of women in executive positions in banking and financial services.

For more information about Financial Women International, please visit www.fwi.org or call toll-free 866-236-2007.

Financial Women International and its Foundation are dedicated to developing leaders, accelerating careers, and generating results for professionals in the banking and financial services industry. Membership is comprised of financial executives representing all 50 states, Canada, and Russia.