Margaret Delmonico, retired director of public relations at PSECU in Harrisburg, Pa., has been named Credit Union Magazine's 2020 Credit Union Hero of the Year. Sponsored by Symitar, the award honors credit union system employees or volunteers who promote credit union philosophy, values, and principles and make a difference in their community.

Delmonico joined PSECU in 1978 as a member service representative and took on various roles throughout her career, including marketing, lending, and public relations. She retired as director of public relations for the $5.6 billion asset credit union on Dec. 31, 2019.

“To be presented with this award is such an honor, and I am incredibly humbled to be recognized for doing the work that I loved to do—serving people through the credit union movement,” Delmonico says.

During her career, Delmonico researched PSECU’s field of membership, leading to new opportunities for school districts, municipalities, and the higher education community to join the credit union.

She launched a speakers bureau, which performed outreach in the community and “showed people the faces behind the phone voice” at PSECU.

Delmonico started WalletWorks, which has provided financial education for more than 50,000 people. And the scholarship program she developed has awarded more than $500,000 to 135 students.

Delmonico also created a corporate social responsibility platform that emphasizes contributing to the greater good of the community.

“It’s people like Margaret Delmonico who make credit unions a fundamental part in every community,” said Shanon McLachlan, president of Symitar. “She’s worked hard to engage with members on a caring, individual level. In doing so, she’s not only helped tens of thousands of people, but she has helped credit union programs nationwide progress to meet the needs of modern members.”

“I consider myself fortunate to have found my personal calling in the ‘people helping people’ credit union philosophy very early in my career and to have been able to dedicate the past 40 years to helping PSECU’s members and the greater Pennsylvania community," says Delmonico. "I’ve always believed that we’re put here for a purpose, and that we should try to leave things better than when we found them. I’m thankful because through the credit union movement, I truly feel I’ve been able to do that.”

The other outstanding Credit Union Heroes are:

• Robin Brulé, chief community engagement officer, Nusenda Credit Union, Albuquerque, N.M.
• Davina Napier, chief lending officer, Credit Union 1, Anchorage, Alaska
• Dave Prosser, senior vice president of community development, Freedom First Credit Union, Roanoke, Va.

To learn more about Margaret Delmonico and the Credit Union Hero program, visit news.cuna.org/cuhero.