PenFed's Tammy Darvish Receives Schaefer Award

A top-level PenFed executive is honored for volunteer work to promote financial literacy

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Apr 23, 2015, 05:38 ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tammy Darvish, the executive vice president of business development, marketing and government and community affairs at Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed), received the 2015 William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award Wednesday.

Along with the President and CEO of PenFed, dignitaries from Maryland State Government and Montgomery County were on hand for the ceremony. Maryland Comptroller, Peter V.R. Franchot (D) presented the award to Darvish at the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty Office in Bethesda, MD.

Maryland Comptroller, Peter Franchot presents the 2015 William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award to Tammy Darvish. Looking on from left to right are Jeffery Slavin, Mayor of Sommerset, MD, Maryland State Senator, Cheryl Kagan, Montgomery County Executive, Ike Leggett and far right, Montgomery County Sheriff, Darren Popkin

"I can't think of anything that better captures the spirit of our industry than the theme of People Helping People. It is ingrained into our culture and it's what PenFed stands for as an organization," said James Schenck, president and CEO of PenFed. "The hard work in promoting financial literacy—something so key to the nation's economic success—falls upon the shoulders of dedicated volunteers like Tammy, who bring a passion for teaching and a genuine desire to see people do better."

The award was created by Franchot four years ago. It "honors the legacy of public service exemplified" by Schaefer, former governor of Maryland, comptroller and Baltimore mayor. Darvish is a highly respected and widely recognized leader in the Washington business community, having served as chair of the Washington Area New Auto Dealers Association and on the executive committee of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. She was named Philanthropist of the Year for Montgomery County in 2014 and has been honored for her work with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Franchot said, "When thinking of someone in Montgomery County who embodies William Donald Schaefer's legendary commitment to helping people, someone who has accomplished so much professionally but who has always been driven more personally by what she does for others, there was one person who stood out above the rest.

"It is truly my distinct honor and point of personal privilege to present the 2015 William Donald Schaefer Award in my home county to my dear friend, Tammy Darvish—a dedicated philanthropist, a champion for financial readiness, and an exceptional citizen to our region and out state."

Darvish has a special interest in financial literacy education and serves on Maryland Comptroller Franchot's financial literacy committee. She's supported a wide-range of causes in the community from financial education and the arts, to helping wounded warriors, and providing community resources to support the homeless.

Darvish said, "Financial literacy is more so about financial readiness, which is everything readiness. It's job readiness, it's college readiness, and it's life readiness. We're going to continue our efforts to make sure that every student in our state has the opportunity for a formal financial education. This isn't about teaching them how to write a check. It's about understanding credit, understanding FICO scores. It's about understanding how so-called easy payments are anything but."

Regarding settling into her new position at PenFed, she said, "I'm in the best place I have ever been in my life. We are so empowered to go out, be kind, give no surprises, and help somebody everyday do better. That's my position description. You couldn't ask for a better job."

About PenFed
Established in 1935 as the War Department Credit Union, PenFed is one of the largest credit unions in the country, serving 1.3 million members worldwide; with nearly $18 billion in assets. Its long-standing mission has been to provide superior financial services in a cost effective manner, while being responsive to members' needs. PenFed offers market-leading mortgages, automobile loans, credit cards, checking, and a wide range of other financial services with its members' interests always in mind. Serving a diverse population, PenFed offers many ways to become a member; including numerous employee groups and association affiliations. PenFed is federally insured by the NCUA and is an equal housing lender. PenFed does business in accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Law, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and is a member of NAFCU. To learn more about PenFed, visit PenFed.org, like us on Facebook and follow @PenFed on Twitter. Interested in working for PenFed? Check us out on Linkedin.

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SOURCE PenFed