SUNY EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE AND HUDSON RIVER COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION PARTNER FOR EMPLOYEE EDUCATION

Finding time to go to college while balancing a full-time job and a busy life isn’t easy, but employees of HRCCU are getting a little help from their employer in overcoming obstacles. Through a partnership between SUNY Empire State College and Hudson River Community Credit Union, credit union staff will be provided access to an educational model designed to fit the schedule of busy working adults. This is the first partnership that has been formed between a credit union and SUNY Empire State College in New York State.
Pictured left to right at a press conference to announce their partnership: Dr. Gerald Lorentz, Dean of SUNY Empire State College Northeast Regional Center; Dorrie Phillips, HRCCU’s AVP of Training and Development; Sue Commanda, HRCCU’s CEO, and Tim Lahey, SUNY ACC Associate Professor of Business.

Queensbury, NY (October 18, 2010): Finding time to go to college while balancing a full-time job and a busy life isn’t easy, but employees of HRCCU are getting a little help from their employer in overcoming obstacles.

Through a partnership between SUNY Empire State College and Hudson River Community Credit Union, credit union staff will be provided access to an educational model designed to fit the schedule of busy working adults. This is the first partnership that has been formed between a credit union and SUNY Empire State College in New York State.

“Education for employees is a critical component of retaining our talent as we grow,” said HRCCU Chief Executive Officer Sue Commanda. “With the complexities of modern life, there is a need for providing flexibility in terms of time and place, which is why our partnership with SUNY Empire State College is a perfect fit.”

“Hudson River Community Credit Union needs specific programs for their employees, which is what we do best,” said Dr. Gerald Lorentz, Dean, Northeast Regional Center of the college. “SUNY Empire State College crafts individual degree programs that meet particular needs and their particular goals. That’s the goal for HRCCU’s employees and that’s the goal for our students, so this is really a win, win.”

Combining options such as online courses, guided independent study and small group studies, affords the credit union’s employees an opportunity to work and learn together. Creating a culture of learning within the workplace is just one of the many supportive directives that Sue Commanda, Hudson River Community Credit Union CEO, has accomplished during her tenure with the organization. Providing an employer-sponsored tuition benefit, in-house training and access to higher education are just a few of the many things that Commanda and her team offer to help employees achieve personal and professional goals. It also can be an effective way to recruit and retain good workers, foster employee job satisfaction and improve the overall success of a business. In addition, HRCCU also utilizes CUNA’s training courses for staff -- some of which may be used for credits towards a college degree.