Kerry Ould, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
kerry.ould@penfinancial.com
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June 26, 2025 |
Changes to the Board of Directors Reg Sonnenberg has resigned from the PenFinancial Credit Union’s Board of Directors effective immediately. We thank Reg for his dedicated service to PenFinancial. In accordance with our Corporate By-Laws, the Board has appointed David Veres as the new Chair of the Board of Directors. For additional information about the Board of Directors, visit PenFinancial.com/GetOnBoard. Members interested in exploring future opportunities to join the Board of Directors, can send an email to Board@PenFinancial.com. |
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June 2, 2025 |
PenFinancial Credit Union seeks forward-looking leaders for Board positions PenFinancial Credit Union is currently seeking qualified individuals for upcoming Board Director positions. We are looking for dedicated leaders who share our passion for community and embrace our values-based banking approach. |
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May 8, 2025 |
Potential Canada Post Strike Due to the potential Canada Post delivery disruption on May 22, bank statements and other bills may be delayed. Please note:
For any other inquiries, please call our Truly Local Contact Centre at 1-866-866-6641. |
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Apr 9, 2025 |
PenFinancial Credit Union announces 2025 Board of Directors After a successful in-person Annual General Meeting, PenFinancial is delighted to introduce the 2025 Board of Directors. |
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Nov 26, 2024 |
Truly Local Grant Recipients Announced PenFinancial Credit Union is proud to announce the recipients of its Truly Local Grant Program for 2024. |
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October 4, 2024 |
PenFinancial Credit Union is awarded $25,000 grant to support the Grow @ Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre program. As part of Concentra and EQ Bank’s Empowering Your Community grant program, PenFinancial is pleased to announce that they’ve been awarded $25,000 to support the FENFC’s ‘Grow’ program. |
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June 12, 2024 |
PenFinancial Credit Union renews Truly Local Grant Program for Another Year of Community Support In a commitment to bolster community initiatives and empower local charities, PenFinancial proudly announces the return of its Truly Local Grant Program. With a generous allocation of $25,000 in funding, this initiative aims to uplift and strengthen charitable organizations based in the Niagara and Haldimand communities. |
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May 1, 2024 |
PenFinancial Credit Union CEO Theresa Bird retires, Shari Sekel announced as her successor PenFinancial’s CEO Theresa Bird announced her retirement, effective April 30, 2024. Following this announcement, the Board of Directors appointed Shari Sekel as the new CEO for PenFinancial, effective today, May 1, 2024. |
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Apr 30, 2024 |
PenFinancial wraps up another successful month of donations for the Prom Project Niagara As part oo their ongoing Truly Local Commitment, PenFinancial has wrapped up another season of collecting donations for the Education Foundation of Niagara’s Prom Project. The Prom Project offers soon-to-be graduates the chance to shop a selection of pre-loved dresses, suits, shoes, and other accessories completely free of charge. |
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Apr 18, 2024 |
PenFinancial Credit Union announces 2024 Board of Directors Following another successful Board election and AGM, PenFinancial is pleased to announce the 2024 Board of Directors. |
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Apr 2, 2024 |
Merger discussions between PenFinancial Credit Union and Mainstreet Credit Union conclude In November 2023, the Board of Directors of PenFinancial Credit Union announced we had engaged in preliminary conversations about a potential merger with Mainstreet Credit Union and a Letter of Intent was signed by both Credit Unions. |
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Nov 1, 2023 |
PenFinancial engages in preliminary merger discussions We’re excited to share that PenFinancial has announced our intention to pursue a merger with Mainstreet Credit Union, pending satisfactory due diligence, regulatory approval and a successful member vote. |
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Sept 12, 2023 |
PenFinancial Credit Union pledges $25,000 to support Gillian’s Place Build a Safer Future campaign PenFinancial Credit Union has announced a $25,000 pledge to support Gillian’s Place Build a Safer Future campaign. This donation is part of PenFinancial’s Truly Local Commitment which aims to help improve lives and strengthen communities. |
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Sept 1, 2023 |
$12,000 donation to school nutrition programs As part of their ongoing Truly Local Commitment, PenFinancial has announced a $12,000 donation to support local school nutrition programs in Niagara and Haldimand. |
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May 5, 2023 |
Board of Directors announcements PenFinancial Credit Union has today announced the following changes to its Board of Directors. Reg Sonnenberg has retired from the PenFinancial Board of Directors. |
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April 20, 2023 |
Mother Earth Day Returns for 2023, Presented by PenFinancial Credit Union Mother Earth Day, presented by PenFinancial Credit Union and hosted by the Park in the City Committee, returns to Firemen's Park on Saturday, May 13, from 10 am until 4 pm (rain or shine). |
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April 17, 2023 |
Changes to PenFinancial Credit Union’s Board of Directors Following another successful virtual AGM and Board Director vote, several changes have been announced for the PenFinancial Credit Union Board of Directors, including the appointment of Sandy Henderson as Board Chair. |
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January 24, 2023 |
As you may be aware, over the past week, PenFinancial was subjected to a “brute force” attack whereby fraudsters attempted to gain access to Online Banking accounts by targeting accounts with weak passwords. Our security systems acted as expected by alerting us to unusual activity and then automatically locking any Online Banking accounts after multiple failed attempts to guess passwords. While it may not seem it, this is very positive as it protected accounts against losses, and reinforces that the vast majority of our members had selected secure passwords. When we became aware of the incident, we took immediate action to protect and monitor member accounts. We also launched an internal investigation and engaged external experts to help assess the situation. We can confirm that only a very limited number of accounts were compromised and we immediately began to work directly with those members impacted; as well as alerting the relevant authorities. We also posted an update on the home page of PenFinancial.com and updated all frontline staff and will continue to follow up with impacted members as appropriate. Unfortunately, these fraudulent access attempts resulted in a large number of member accounts being locked by our security system. This has required members to either visit a branch, or call our Contact Centre to be reset. We understand this is frustrating, however it was a necessary step to prevent fraudulent activity on these accounts. Understandably, as part of this process we need to ensure the identity of each member before we can reset the accounts, or we simply re-open the door to the fraudsters. This has resulted in longer than usual wait times in branch and over the phone. We appreciate that your time is valuable and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to you. These types of attacks are not unique to PenFinancial, and fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated in their attempts. We take your privacy and protection very seriously as we know it is the foundation of our relationship with you. We want to assure you that we have industry standard protections in place for online banking and that as soon as we became aware of the incident we took swift and aggressive action to rectify the situation and completed a thorough investigation. We are also taking steps to prevent such an incident from happening again. It is always important to remain vigilant. Please see our Digital Banking Tips page for more security tips about online banking and remember to be suspicious about unusual activity – if you receive an e-mail or call from PenFinancial, please ensure it is an authentic request – you can reach out to our Contact Centre at 1-866-866-6641 if you have any questions about the authenticity of a request I would like to personally thank all of our members for their patience during this time. I recognize that this has been an incredibly frustrating situation for all involved, but it has shown us that the security systems we already have in place have been incredibly effective, and also that there is more that we can do proactively Thank you for your patience and cooperation. Please contact our Contact Centre at 1-866-866-6641 if you have any questions. Theresa Bird |
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January 17, 2023 |
Security Alert – updates UPDATES: If you recently reset your Online Banking password (PAC) Here are some tips to ensure that your old password isn’t automatically being entered and inadvertently locking you out again. We have heard from some members where these factors have been the root cause of their Online Banking account being locked a second time.
In the short term, you will also be asked your security challenges on each login to ensure the security of your account – even if you select “Register this computer”. ---- On January 11, 2023, we communicated that our security systems identified attempts to gain access to member accounts through Online Banking, targeting accounts with weak passwords. Unfortunately, these types of attacks are becoming increasingly common-place, affecting not only financial institutions, but also other companies and organizations that hold personal data criminals look to access. We are continuing our investigation and can confirm that only a limited number of members have been impacted and that the security protocols we have in place performed as expected and automatically locked accounts after multiple failed attempts to guess passwords. We have been in contact with those members who have been affected and we have also reported this incident to the authorities. The intention of these criminals is to gain access to funds and subsequently transfer the funds elsewhere through a variety of means, such as Interac Online Payments, setting up new Interac e-Transfer recipients to transfer money by email, or setting up new bill payees through Online Banking. In an abundance of caution, we have temporarily disabled some of these features for some members while we complete our investigations. What can you do to improve the security of your Online Banking?
If you need assistance with Online Banking
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and assure you that we take the security of our banking systems very seriously. We continue to work with our technology partners to constantly update our systems, and introduce additional security enhancements for our members. |
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January 11, 2023 |
Security Alert We have been alerted to fraudulent attempts to gain unauthorized access to some member accounts through Online Banking. As a result of the safeguards already in place to ensure our systems are secure, multiple failed login attempts against a member account have resulted in these accounts being automatically locked to protect them from unauthorized access. While we recognize that this is an inconvenience to our members, these protocols have been effective at preventing significant losses. If your Online Banking account has been locked, you may call our Contact Centre at 1-866-866-6641 for assistance. View our Contact Centre hours here. For an added layer of protection, we have also implemented additional temporary safeguards, including requiring you to answer the security questions you selected at the time of setting up your Online Banking access each time you login, and disabling the ability to add new bill payees and Interac e-Transfer recipients through Online Banking. These attacks specifically target accounts with weak passwords, and as per previous communications, we remind all members to ensure they are using a strong password with a mix of uppercase letters, lower case letters and numbers; and to use a password that is unique to Online Banking. Unfortunately, these types of attacks are becoming increasingly common-place, affecting not only financial institutions, but also other companies and organizations that hold personal data criminals look to access. For additional ways you can help ensure your Online Banking is secure, view our Digital Banking How-to guides for more tips. |
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September 28, 2022 |
PenFinancial Credit Union donates to the Hurricane Fiona Relief Fund Hurricane Fiona has caused untold damage along the Atlantic Coast, affecting families and communities with torrential rain and flooding that has destroyed homes and businesses. To help support the recovery efforts, PenFinancial Credit Union has made a $5,000 donation to the Hurricane Fiona in Canada Appeal. Through this donation, the Canadian Red Cross will be able to provide emergency relief, humanitarian aid, and support recovery and resilience for those impacted by this disaster. |
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August 3, 2022 |
PenFinancial Credit Union welcomes Theresa Bird as new Chief Executive Officer PenFinancial Credit Union is pleased to announce Theresa Bird as the credit union’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective September 12, 2022. Joining PenFinancial as Chief Retail Officer in January 2021, then becoming its Chief Operating Officer, Theresa comes to the role with nearly 40 years of experience in the financial services sector – experience that has shaped her belief that financial service to members and the community can and should be a rewarding and valuable experience, for staff and members alike. Theresa will succeed outgoing CEO Ken Janzen, who will officially retire September 30. |
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July 26, 2022 |
PenFinancial Credit Union partners with CMHA Niagara and Armstrong Strategy Group on Trauma-informed Care Champion Learning Collaborative A newly-released survey by the University at Buffalo’s Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC) illustrates the impact trauma has on these Niagara sectors: Not only have the vast majority of clients faced trauma, it’s also an issue for agency staff, who often experience trauma vicariously through their clients. To support community agencies better support their clients, PenFinancial Credit Union has announced funding funding for community agencies to become trauma-informed through a program called “Trauma-Informed Care Champion Learning Collaborative” delivered by ITTIC. |
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May 25, 2022 |
PenFinancial Credit Union officially opens new branch in Niagara Falls An official opening ceremony was held on May 24th for PenFinancial's newest branch at 7190 Morrison St. in Niagara Falls Ontario. During the opening ceremonies a donation was made to Project Share as part of our Truly Local Commitment. |
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May 4, 2022 |
PenFinancial Credit Union CEO announces retirement Coming off a record setting year in 2021, Ken Janzen, Chief Executive Officer of PenFinancial Credit Union today announced his intention to retire in fall 2022. |
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April 8, 2022 |
PenFinancial announces partnership with Willow Arts Community As part of our Truly Local Commitment to health and wellbeing, PenFinancial is proud to announce our partnership with Willow Arts Community as the Arts Training Sponsor for the 2022 spring season. |
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February 28, 2022 |
PenFinancial responds to Ukraine crisis with a $5,000 donation In response to the rapidly escalating crisis in Ukraine, PenFinancial has made a $5,000 donation to help people affected and in need of humanitarian assistance. Funds are being directed to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation Humanitarian Appeal which is providing humanitarian assistance/relief in the areas of Assistance to displaced persons, Medical care, Emergency shelter and Food security. Our thoughts go out to those affected by this crisis. |
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October 20, 2021 |
Stronger Together – Niagara Credit Unions join forces in support of 2022 Canada Summer Games In the spirit of National Co-op Week and International Credit Union Day, PenFinancial Credit Union has joined forces with Meridian Credit Union and FirstOntario Credit Union to provide vital support to the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, and encourage the community to get involved in next year’s Games. |
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September 8, 2021 |
PenFinancial Credit Union signs on for green electricity and green natural gas with Bullfrog Power® Canada’s leading green energy provider, Bullfrog Power Inc. (“Bullfrog”), a Spark Power company, announced that PenFinancial Credit Union is choosing green electricity and green natural gas for its Central Services location, and all six branches located throughout Niagara Region and in Dunnville, Ontario. |
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August 20, 2021 |
PenFinancial Credit Union has announced today the resignation of Mario De Divitiis from the Board of Directors. Mario has been a valued member of the Board since he was first elected in April 2019. We thank him for his exemplary service and we wish him well in his future endeavors. |
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August 4, 2021 |
PenFinancial Credit Union to observe National Day of Truth and Reconciliation PenFinancial will be observing the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation by closing our branches and offices on September 30, 2021 to enable our employees to recognize and remember the legacy of the residential schools. Only by understanding and learning from our past, can we heal and move forward as a country. |
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July 19, 2021 |
Best for the World™ 2021 - Governance At PenFinancial, we are incredibly proud about being recognized as one of the Best for the World™ B Corps of 2021! |
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July 13, 2021 |
PenFinancial Announces Partnership with 2022 Canada Games PenFinancial is excited to announce that we have become an official partner of the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games — where we will serve as co-sponsor to the Catch The Spirit and Mascot programs, along with sponsoring a leg of the Torch Relay. |
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May 31, 2021 |
PenFinancial Credit Union announces location for new Niagara Falls branch PenFinancial Credit Union has announced a new Niagara Falls location with a target opening date of December 2021. The branch will be located at 7190 Morrison Street. The current Dorchester Road branch will be migrated to the new Niagara Falls branch at that time. Highlights of the new branch include:
“PenFinancial remains committed to the Niagara Falls community. Our investment in this new branch will provide both our staff and members with a more modern facility that will better serve our needs both now, and well into the future,” said Ken Janzen, CEO of PenFinancial Credit Union. “This investment also reinforces the strength of our business and our commitment to the continued growth and sustainability of PenFinancial Credit Union.”
For more information, and regular updates on progress, visit penfinancial.com/NiagaraFalls |
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April 20, 2021 |
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February 3, 2021 |
PenFinancial Credit Union announces a $10,000 donation in the memory of former CEO Bob Watson The donation will be made to Wellspring Niagara which offers a wide variety of programs and services to meet the social, emotional, restorative and informational needs of people living with cancer. In addition, the Community Room at the PenFinancial Branch at Fourth Avenue in St. Catharines will be renamed to the Bob Watson Community Room in Bob’s honour. Read the media release. |
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January 22, 2020 |
Remembering Bob Watson It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Bob Watson on January 19, 2021. Bob was the former CEO of PenFinancial Credit Union for over thirty years until his retirement in August 2016. Bob was passionate about the Credit Union system and PenFinancial, and he had a deep passion for our Members and staff. In his retirement comments he noted “helping Credit Union Members plan their dreams was inspirational”. PenFinancial is a result of his vision as he led the merger of 8 Niagara Credit Unions over the years into what we enjoy today. Bob will be remembered for his indomitable spirit, compassion and dedication to his local community. He will be missed by his many friends and colleagues at PenFinancial. Our condolences are with his wife Mary, his four children and the grandchildren he cherished. Online condolences can be made at www.cudneyfuneralhome.com.
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December 18, 2020 |
To make contactless payments even more convenient, Interac Flash tap limits have increased. As a PenFi Member you can now use your debit card to make purchases of up to $250 per tap transaction to a cumulative amount of $400 without needing to re-enter your PIN. To activate this change, you simply need to complete three consecutive chip transactions. There is no time limit on completing these transactions, however they must be consecutive and not include any tap transactions in between. These can be made at an ATM or at point of sale. |
| November 19, 2020 | $20,000 Donation to Socks for Change to help those in need this winter |
| October 5, 2020 | In consultation with our Board of Directors, and other business considerations, we have made the decision to merge the Bunting Road and Huggins Street branches with our Fourth Avenue and Dorchester Road branches respectively. Please visit penfinancial.com/branch-news for more details. |
| September 17, 2020 | Effective immediately, Mr. Chris Lamb will no longer be serving on PenFinancial’s Board of Directors. We thank him for his service. |
| April 20, 2020 | $10,000 in scholarships to be awarded to Niagara students |
| April 09, 2020 | PenFinancial donates $20,000 to local organizations during COVID-19 crisis |
| April 19, 2019 | PenFinancial first Niagara based company to become a Certified B Corporation® |
| July 10, 2018 | PenFinancial First Major Private Sector ‘Living Wage Employer’ in Niagara |
| June 19, 2018 | PenFinancial’s Fourth Avenue Branch Fast Facts |
| March 9, 2018 | Local partnership provides financial education and support to help break the cycle of poverty |
| January 31, 2018 | PenFinancial to Officially Kick Off Their Truly Local Commitment to Niagara |
| July 6, 2017 | Federal regulator bans use of common terms “to bank” and "banking” by Credit Unions |
| May 3, 2017 | New Director of Finance Appointed at Niagara’s Truly Local Credit Union |
| December 19, 2016 | Pelham Community will enjoy a Truly Local Banking Alternative in 2017 |
| November 2, 2016 | Free seminars to address how social enterprise is a viable business model for Niagarans |
| August 26, 2016 | New Drive-Thru ATM to serve Thorold community |
| August 15, 2016 | PenFinancial’s new CEO looks to hit the ground running |
| July 28, 2016 | Local high school student wins $2,000 scholarship through Niagara based video contest |
| June 16, 2016 | PenFinancial Credit Union Announces New CEO |
| June 15, 2016 | PenFinancial Credit Union to Open New Branch on Fourth Avenue in St. Catharines |
| June 1, 2016 | PenFinancial Credit Union Announces the Retirement of former Dunnville and District Credit Union CEO, Don Ecker |
| May 16, 2016 | PenFinancial asks Niagara students “What do you want to be when you grow up?” |
| April 15, 2016 | Dunnville and District Credit Union Members Approve Merger with PenFinancial Credit Union |
| March 15, 2016 | PenFinancial looks to share their ‘Truly Local Advice’ with Niagara |
| December 7, 2015 | PenFinancial Credit Union CEO Announces Retirement |
| October 27, 2015 | Dunnville and District Credit Union to join PenFinancial Credit Union |
| October 19, 2015 | Brock welcomes new PenFinancial scholarship aimed at Niagara area high school graduates |
| October 19, 2015 | PenFinancial Credit Union supports community-minded, local students |
| October 15, 2015 | New index grades Ontario municipalities on co-operative values and community strength |
| July 8, 2015 | Local high school student wins $2,000 scholarship through Niagara based video contest |
| May 8, 2015 | PenFinancial asks Niagara students “What do you want to be when you grow up?” |
| August 21, 2014 | Sprowt.ca Video Scholarship Contest awards $4,000 to five local students |
| August 20, 2014 | Local Credit Union invests $50,000 in Fort Erie Community |
| June 19, 2014 | Membership overwhelmingly approves merger of two local credit unions |
| May 28, 2014 | PenFinancial Credit Union recognized for Marketing Excellence at National Conference |
| May 26, 2014 | Sprowt Video Scholarship winners thriving in Niagara! |
| May 6, 2014 | PenFinancial asks Niagara students “What do you want to be when you grow up?” |
| January 28th, 2014 | Two local credit unions in merger discussions |
| January 21, 2014 | PenFinancial Credit Union Encourages Niagara Residents to Bank with a Higher Purpose |
| January 10, 2014 | Wellspring Niagara recipient of PenFinancial’s Memorial tournament |
| December 10, 2013 | PenFinancial Credit Union hopes to help make the holidays a little brighter for families in Niagara |
| November 22, 2013 | PenFinancial Credit Union Collecting Donations in Support of Philippines Relief Efforts |
| July 9, 2013 | Local students awarded a total of $4,000 in scholarships through Niagara based video contest |
| May 8, 2013 | PenFinancial Credit Union and WRCC Continue to Grow our Community Together |
| March 8, 2013 | $4,000 up for grabs as Sprowt.ca launches their video scholarship contest |
| December 14, 2012 | PenFinancial Sparkle Lighting Awards Winners Announced |
| December 10, 2012 | PenFinancial Sparkle Lighting Awards judging to take place December 12th |
| September 24, 2012 | PenFinancial’s Jayne Paquin Awarded “Manager of the Year” by Credit Union Managers’ Association |
| May 7, 2012 | PenFinancial making financial literacy fun for local students |
