Accounting
NFCC Honors National Leaders with Making the Difference Awards
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling honored six individuals with the NFCC’s Making the Difference Award during their Annual Leaders Conference in Denver, CO.
Oct. 18, 2013
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling honored six individuals with the NFCC’s Making the Difference Award during their Annual Leaders Conference in Denver, CO.
“The NFCC introduced the Making the Difference Awards in 2005 to recognize the unwavering contributions and support that various individuals and organizations – both from outside and inside our organization – have made to the NFCC, its mission, its member agencies, and most importantly, consumers who benefit from our services,” said Gail Cunningham, spokesperson for the NFCC.
The following leaders were honored for their significant contributions toward advancing financial education in America:
- Tom La Centra, Executive Vice President with Wells Fargo’s Consumer Credit Solutions group has a passion for people and helping them succeed financially. He has repeatedly volunteered his time and expertise to a number of NFCC projects, always with a keen focus on doing what is right for consumers and for the credit counseling sector. For his ongoing contributions, the NFCC presented Tom La Centra with the 2013 Making the Difference Chair Award.
- Victor Nichols, Chief Executive Officer, Experian North America, received the 2013 Making the Difference Partner Award. Experian has significantly contributed to consumers' financial literacy, awareness and education through their continued support of the NFCC’s mission and vision, including making financial education specific to credit reports and scores, fraud prevention, and credit management available to the more than 2,000 NFCC Certified Financial Professionals.
- Jay Seaton, winner of the 2013 Making the Difference Member Award, serves as Director of National Affairs for NFCC Member Agency Apprisen. He has been involved in the credit counseling sector since the 1970’s, and has helped Apprisen build and maintain one of the strongest community education programs in the country. Having developed numerous counseling and financial education programs to serve predominantly low-to-moderate income residents, his “Bring Out the Millionaire in You” workshop remains one of the agency’s most sought-after presentations. Seaton is passionate about his work, a quality that is contagious to those around him.
- Michelle Singletary is an award-winning nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, writing the bi-weekly “The Color of Money.” She authored three personal finance books, has been a contributor to major television networks, and for two seasons hosted “Singletary Says” on TV One. Singletary is the director of a ministry she founded at her church, in which women and men volunteer to mentor others who are having financial challenges. Her achievements and dedication to improving the financial well-being of Americans earned her the 2013 Making the Difference Advocate Award.
- Ken Wojcik, Executive Vice President, GE Capital Retail Finance, is a champion for the NFCC and its members. Immediately recognizing its value to consumers, he most recently played a critical role in making sure the NFCC’s new Sharpen Your Financial Focus program became a reality. For his unwavering support of financial education, Ken Wojcik was recognized with the 2013 Making the Difference Chair Award.
- Since 1966, NFCC Member Agency Clarifi has been devoted to providing consumers with the tools they need for lifelong financial literacy. Relentless in their pursuit of new ideas to help consumers reach their financial goals, they have adapted to the times by embracing contemporary, proactive financial literacy programs for specific populations including women, seniors, and families. For their leadership and innovation Clarifi was recognized with the 2013 Making the Difference Member Agency Award.
“It is our privilege to recognize these professionals for their outstanding accomplishments,” said Susan C. Keating, president and CEO of the NFCC. “They have each advanced financial literacy and consumer protection through their professional channels. We, individually and as a country, benefit from their passion and dedication to improving lives through financial education.”