ALBANY, N.Y. (6/12/14)--During next week's annual meeting and convention in Sarasota, N.Y., the Credit Union Association of New York (CUANY) will honor credit union excellence embodied by professionals, young professionals and volunteers.

This year's outstanding professionals are:

• $50 million to $250 million in assets: Michelle McCourt, president/CEO, Bridgeway FCU, Poughkeepsie, with $76 million in assets. Since becoming president/CEO in 2012, McCourt has led community development initiatives as well as expanding Bridgeway FCU's work as a community development financial institution and low-income designated credit union.
• More than $250 million in assets: James Doig, CEO, Sidney FCU, with $385 million in assets. Doig has been with the credit union movement for more than 17 years. The credit union's mobile banking platform has an above-average adoption rate, and recently, it opened an environmentally friendly branch in Delhi.

CUANY named Kate Czarnecki, marketing and member services manager, Focal Point FCU, Syracuse, with $49 million in assets, as this year's outstanding young professional (The Point June 10). In 2013, she helped develop a program that served furloughed employees of the Canandaigua VA Medication Center. In addition to serving on CUANY's Young Professionals Commission, Czarnecki was recently appointed president of Rochester Chapter, where she serves as chair of the legislative committee.

The winners of the outstanding volunteer awards have nearly 100 years of credit union experience among them. Winners, listed by asset size, are:

• Less than $50 million: Gary Brown began his tenure at $35 million-asset Compass FCU on the supervisory committee in 2007. During his time with the Oswego-based credit union, Brown helped oversee a conversion to a community charter and a merger with Oswego Hospital CU in 2009.
• $50 million to $250 million: Melvin Feather, chair, Southern Chautauqua FCU, Lakewood, has held various volunteer positions on the credit union's board since the 1970s. He has helped guide the credit union from a small, teacher-based credit union to a community-based credit union with $61 million in assets.
• More than $250 million: Paul Pavlovich, former chair, Mid-Hudson Valley FCU, Kingston, served on the board for 37 years. During his 15-year span as chairman, the community's largest local employer and the credit union's sponsor, IBM Kingston, closed. Pavlovich oversaw the conversion to a community charter for the credit union, which now has $779 million in assets. He retired from the board in 2013 but continues to be involved as director emeritus.
• More than $250 million: Edward Gilligan has served on $1.08 billion-asset Capital Communications FCU's board for 21 years. He has been chair of the Albany credit union for the past 14 years. In the past five years, Gilligan has helped guide the acquisition of a mortgage lender and title agency, increased investments in Web and mobile banking, and the construction of a state-of-the-art financial center.