Greylock FCU Community Development Program to Serve People in Need

February 7, 2017 – Pittsfield, MA – Greylock Federal Credit Union has announced the expansion of its Community Development program to include the introduction of new lending programs targeting financially underserved members such as credit-challenged borrowers, low income workers, immigrants, students, and young workers.

Over the past two years the Credit Union has successfully instituted one-on-one financial and credit counseling services and added 8 Certified Credit Union Financial Counselors (CCUFCs) that are available throughout the County. Through its partnership with GreenPathTM Financial Wellness, Greylock offers a wide range of financial counseling resources focusing on debt, credit, housing and student loans. Greylock also offers classroom educational sessions, credit-building products, and partnerships with community agencies and advocates.

To oversee these activities, Greylock has appointed Cindy Shogry-Raimer (photo far left) to take on a new role as VP/Community Development Director. She was previously VP/Manager of Operational Risk at the Credit Union. Gloria Escobar (photo left) has been named Community Development Specialist. She was previously a Branch Specialist at Greylock. In their new positions, Shogry-Raimer and Escobar will continue the work of Member Financial Education Program Coordinator, Maureen Finn, who led Greylock’s Community Development programs, and retired at the end of 2016. 

“Cindy’s decades of experience in all facets of banking, combined with her strong community spirit, make her an ideal manager for this important emerging area within Greylock. Gloria’s excellent organizational skills, bi-lingual abilities, and passion for the community make her the perfect choice to team with Cindy.” said Greylock President/CEO John L. Bissell. “We appreciate all of Maureen's excellent work and wish her well in retirement. Thanks to her leadership and the commitment of the employees who have supported our community outreach, Greylock reached more than 2,000 people with community development and financial education services in 2016.”

Shogry-Raimer has been with Greylock for over 30 years and held many positions in the Credit Union including: operations, staff accountant, member service, branch management, lending, and risk management. She is on the Networking/Ambassador Committee for 1Berkshire, BCC Alumni Board, Coolidge Hill Foundation Board, scholarship review committee at BCC and participates in numerous 5Ks and benefits to support the community.

Escobar has been working in the Credit Union industry for 9 years. She worked at Greylock as a teller from 2008 to 2012, and returned to Greylock last year after spending 4 years at Hurlbut Federal Credit Union. She has held positions as a teller, administrative professional, and assisted in marketing, finance and member service. Escobar teaches Spanish at Berkshire Community College and is on the Board of Directors for the Festival Latino of the Berkshires. Additionally, Escobar works at the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire as a bookkeeper.  

About Greylock

Greylock membership is open to anyone who lives, works, attends school, worships or regularly conducts business in Berkshire County, and Westfield, Southwick, Granville, Montgomery, or Russell, Massachusetts. Greylock Federal is wholly owned by its more than 75,000 members and offers full-service branches in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, Lee, Adams, North Adams, Williamstown, Lanesborough, and Lenox. Greylock has a Low Income Designation (LID) from the NCUA and certification by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund allowing the Credit Union to offer expanded services to low and moderate income families. More information is available online at www.greylock.org.

Greylock’s family of businesses includes:

• Greylock Insurance Agency, with seven locations county-wide, handles commercial and personal lines including auto, homeowner’s, life, disability, long-term care insurance, all forms of bonding, and 24/7 claims service.
• Greylock Investment Group offers access to a full array of services including financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, mutual funds, annuities and portfolio management.
• Greylock Marketing Group is a full-service advertising agency dedicated to helping other credit unions, businesses and not-for-profit organizations meet their communications and marketing objectives.
• Greylock Employee Benefits Services offers comprehensive consultation and brokerage services for group medical, dental, life and disability insurance.