Council Spotlight: Meghan Crider
Virginia National Bank

Meghan Crider, President of Educational Programs at Virginia National Bank, is a dedicated advocate for education and community development. Her commitment to professional growth is evident in her recent decision to join the council of the Center for Financial Training and Education Alliance (CFTEA).

Why CFTEA?

Reflecting on her interactions with CFTEA, Meghan shared, “I believe in CFTEA’s mission – to empower students to achieve their goals, support organizations to realize success, and strengthen communities to create positive change by delivering specialized, relevant, affordable educational programs – and I wanted to be part of that. Also, I have loved working with Andrew and Tammy for the last five years, and after meeting the board and council members at this year’s Leaders Conference, I was so impressed with the group that I wanted to work with them as well.”

A Unique Experience

Meghan has found CFTEA to be extremely flexible and supportive. “We have partnered with them since 2019 to create and develop our College Program based on our needs and desired level of rigor. When a particular course was no longer available from a third party, CFTEA searched for and found a comparable replacement. When more rigorous and in-depth written and oral communications courses became available, they made us aware of them and we adjusted our program, making it even stronger and more effective.”

Beyond the Council Role

Meghan’s involvement with CFTEA extends beyond her new council role. “Over the last five years, Virginia National Bank (VNB) has developed a three-part educational program to recruit and retain high-performing employees – the Business Aptitude Program (BAP). The Finance Career and Leadership Academy (FCLA) is Part 1. It is a free, in-depth, and challenging financial education program and path to a career for juniors and seniors in high school. The top-performing graduates of VNB’s FCLA, promising career changers, and exemplary employees are candidates for Parts 2 and 3, VNB’s College Program. Our partnership with CFTEA has allowed us to create a credentialing program specifically designed to prepare students to meet the demands of our industry, and to do so without the prohibitive cost of a four-year degree. This bank-sponsored, comprehensive, free training program consists of 16 courses, of which 13 are accredited college/university courses (39 credit hours that are transferable to a 2 or 4-year college/university) and work projects. Participants receive full-time pay with full fringe benefits (including 401k with company match) while completing the program and, if successful in the certificate program (Part 2), have the potential opportunity for a career with VNB. Also, once employed, should they choose, they may go on to complete a 2 or 4-year degree (Part 3) at the company’s expense.”

Looking Ahead

Meghan is most excited about the collaborative opportunities that come with being a CFTEA council member and helping to bring CFTEA’s resources to the attention of other organizations inside and outside the banking industry.

Congratulations to Meghan for adding her voice in guiding CFTEA as a non-profit organization that supports employees, organizations, and the community! Council members provide a strong voice to CFTEA, with learning on all sides as opportunities and challenges are discussed and appreciated. Welcome aboard, Meghan!

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