(Athens, GA) – Southeastern Regional Credit Union School (SRCUS) announces Chris Jones as the recipient of the 2025 Tom McWilliams Service to SRCUS Award. The award, named in honor of the late Tom McWilliams, recognizes a student that exemplifies empathetic leadership, inclusiveness of others and appreciation for their perspectives, excellent communication and listening skills, and a commitment to service and willingness to participate. A recipient is determined following recommendations submitted by current SRCUS students and staff.
Jones, operations manager for BayPort Credit Union in Newport News, Va., accepted the award on June 20 during this year’s session of Southeast Management School in Athens, Ga. With more than 30 years of service to the credit union, he has developed into an innovative strategist with expertise in asset/liability management, business resiliency planning, and building efficient operations and high-performing teams. His time at SRCUS further sharpened his leadership lens—enhancing his ability to think strategically, collaborate across functions, lead with heart and faith, and deliver long-term value to both his organization and the credit union movement.
Sincerely touched by the recognition, Jones reflected on the shared accomplishments of his classmates in his acceptance remarks.
“To be noticed and recognized is a big deal, but I think what it is, is a reflection of my classmates—how hard you guys worked, how well we worked together, how much we pushed one another,” Jones said. “I can’t accept an award like this without recognizing every single one of you… I look forward to seeing what you do in the future and how we grow this industry.”
Tom McWilliams was an advocate for the credit union industry for over 30 years with a great passion for career development, serving as senior vice president for the Mississippi Credit Union Association (MCUA) and as vice chair for SRCUS until his passing on March 11, 2022. The award was established and first presented in his honor later that year.
Lauren DeAngelis, chief learning officer for the Carolinas Credit Union League and longtime friend of the late Tom McWilliams, highlighted the traits Jones exhibited during his time in the program that made him an ideal recipient of the award.
“Quiet leadership and humble service … created a stronger, more connected class community, approached every opportunity with a servant’s heart and collaborative spirit … and dedicated to SRCUS, his classmates, and the credit union philosophy—making him an ideal recipient for this award,” DeAngelis said.
SRCUS issues this award annually as part of the Southeast Management School program. In addition to the award, the school is making a donation to McWilliams’ favorite charity, the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). Funds will be dispersed to the CMN Chapter in or close to the city where the year’s award recipient resides.
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About SRCUS
Southeastern Regional Credit Union School (SRCUS) is a collaboration of six southeastern credit union leagues, including the Carolinas Credit Union League, Kentucky Credit Union League, League of Credit Unions & Affiliates, Luminate (Louisiana Credit Unions), Mississippi Credit Union Association, and Tennessee Credit Union League.
Through collaboration with America’s Credit Unions and affiliates, the first SRCUS Management School was established in 1970. Since the school’s formation it has graduated over 1,200 credit union management professionals from 21 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to the management school, SRCUS also hosts an annual Directors’ Conference, which provides a full range of informative educational sessions about critical issues important to today’s ever-changing financial industry for credit union directors and committee members. For more information, visit www.srcus.org.
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