Each year the prestigious James D. Likens, WCMS Alumni Recognition Award is given
to honor WCMS alumni who have had significant achievement in the credit union field
after graduation from the Western CUNA Management School.
This year marks the fifteenth year this celebrated award has been given to honor
individuals, who have taken the momentum created during school to attain new and
higher levels of achievement in their credit union careers.
Qualifying criteria for this distinguished award includes:
- Significant professional growth in the individual's
credit union career since graduation.
- Significant service to the credit union community after graduation.
Most Recent Recipient: Ava Milosovich
The 2007 recipient of the James Likens Award graduated from WCMS in 1988.
Her career spans over 40 years in the credit union movement. A carrier highlighted
by accomplishments such as starting investment and mortgage companies and leading
a CU with over $700 million in assets where she has recently retired as CEO.
Always generous with her knowledge and experience – she has served on numerous national
and regional committees and boards furthering the credit union movement. In
her work, she has embraced the opportunity to actively create programs and services in a wide variety of organizational areas in not-for-profit as well as for-profit
companies.
Her forward thinking and straight-forward approach has attracted leaders of research
councils and development companies.
Her family, colleagues and friends describe her as ethical, passionate, driven,
energetic and innovative - her innovation has shown in every area of the organizations
she has led – lending, marketing, IT, Leadership, Sales, and new business models.
It is our good fortune that this industry treasure plans to continue sharing her
passion and knowledge to help jump start other organizations to their own success
as she embarks on the next phase of life’s work, Executive Coaching and Leadership
Development.
John Janclaes,
California, 2006
David W. Brehmer,
North Carolina, 2005
Shon Wellborn, California 2004
JoAnne LeCouvre Kersey, Oregon, 2003
John Annaloro, Washington, 2002
Diana Dykstra, California, 2001
Terry Parkyn, California, 2000
Marsha Burgess, Nevada, 1999
Winifred Corey, California, 1998
William G. Ferrence, Nevada, 1997
James M. Sasahara, CA, 1996
Rick Craig, Utah, 1995
Beverly Dawson, California, 1994
Bernie Ray, Arizona, 1993
David E. Maus, Colorado, 1992
Richard M. Johnson, CA, 1991
Nominations are now being accepted for the James D. Likens Alumni Recognition Award.
This award is presented to the recipient during school each July as part of the
graduation ceremony.
Nominees must have graduated from the Western CUNA Management School, or any other
name by which it has been previously known, a minimum of five years before the date
of presentation of the award on Graduation Night. Members of the WCMS Alumni Association
Board, the Western CUNA Management School Board of Trustees and current members
of the Selection Committee for this award, are not eligible.
For more information and nomination forms, contact:
Stephanie King, James D. Likens Award Committee
Chairman, 775-886-1395, or
Michael Pardon, WCMS Alumni
Association President, 888-732-2471 x110