Financial Women International Recognizes Leaders With Awards, Scholarships

FINANCIAL WOMEN INTERNATIONAL RECOGNIZES

Roseville, Minnesota (10/5/09) – Financial Women International honored

exceptional members and leaders at FWI’s 87th Annual Conference, Oct. 3-5, 2009,

in Newport Beach, California:

Lucy Jackson, vice president and manager of San Diego National Bank’s

Mission Hills Branch, San Diego, California, received the 2009 Virginia D.H. Furman

Outstanding Member of the Year award. In nominating her for the award,

members of the FWI San Diego Group said that Jackson, who served as Association

President in 1999-2000, has developed, mentored and touched the lives of many

FWI members at the group, district and association levels.

The FWI Orange County Group, led by Michelle Coberly of Popular Small

Business Capital, Westminster, California, has been named the 2009

Group of the Year. The group offered 11 group programs over the course of the

year including a networking event and fundraiser netting $8,000. They also

provided nine financial workshops at the WisePlace, a transitional homeless shelter

for women. In addition, 16 members of the group received scholarships (100

percent funding) to attend FWI’s Annual Conference.

The FWI Texas District, led by Cheryl Linder of NewFirst National Bank in

El Campo, Texas, is the 2009 District of the Year. Comprised of six local

groups and members-at-large, the Texas District hosted a successful district

conference attended by almost a third of the District members. Educational

programming included fraud prevention, bank compliance changes and the

Paragon Circle™ program Hit the Ground Running. The district used membership

incentives, scholarships and recognition in the Texas District Hall of Fame to provide

numerous opportunities for members to get involved in district activities.

Red Ladder, Inc., has been named as FWI’s 2009 Partner in Success. Red

Ladder’s Founder/CEO, Regina Barr, is best known by FWI members as

Foundation Chair (2003-2005) and FWI President (2007-2008). Red Ladder

has been an FWI business partner on the Leadership Gap Study, Professional

Fitness™ Program series and Today’s Financial Women magazine. As a volunteer,

Regina has also played a significant role in many of FWI’s strategic initiatives, most

recently the marketing and re-branding project. In addition, Red Ladder and

Regina have been financial supporters of the Paragon Circle™, Annual

Conference and Invest.

FWI also proudly helps women further their careers by awarding scholarships

annually through two strategic partnerships. The 2009 recipients were:

Paula Wagner, senior vice president of corporate risk management with Fishback

Financial Corporation, Brookings, South Dakota, is the recipient of the 2009 FWI

Scholarship provided by the Graduate School of Banking Colorado. Wagner will

receive a one-third discount from the regularly charged fees for two years of

attendance in the three-year program at GSBC. Wagner’s goal is to broaden her

understanding of community banking so that she will be more effective in risk

oversight while finding other opportunities to contribute to the success of her

company.

Cheryl Linder, vice president and accounting/administration manager with NewFirst

National Bank in El Campo, Texas, is the recipient of the 2009 Women in Banking

Scholarship provided by the Graduate School of Banking at the University of

Wisconsin-Madison. This scholarship provides a one-third discount from the regularly

charged fees for each year of attendance in the 25-month program at GSB. Linder

feels strongly that the GSB program will support her in her career goals and will

allow her to take advantage of future opportunities for career advancement.

For more information, visit www.fwi.org or call 1-866-236-2007.

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