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14 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 6 Number 8 Congratulations


Portsmouth’s Kahler Receives Economic 


The City of Portsmouth’s


Department of Economic Development announces that Mallory Copeland Kahler has earned the designation of  a national recognition that denotes a mastery of principal skills in economic development, professional attainment, and a commitment to personal and professional growth. Kahler is a Development Manager with the Department of Economic Development. The CEcD designation recognizes          and sets the standard of excellence within the profession. Candidates must successfully complete a rigorous and comprehensive three-part, two-day examination, which tests a practitioner’s  the key areas of economic development, including business retention and 


 


workforce development, community development, real estate, strategic planning, and management. The CEcD exam was administered by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) on March 17 and 18 in Alexandria, VA.


As highly competent economic


   Economic Developers work with      community members to create leadership to build upon and maximize the economic development sector. Excellence in the economic development profession improves the well being, quality of life, and opportunities for individuals, businesses and communities. There are currently 1,250 active CEcDs in the United States.


With over 20 years of economic


development experience, Kahler has broad-based experience and responsi- bilities in many aspects of economic development. She serves as Portsmouth’s Enterprise Zone Administrator and as Assistant Secretary to both the Portsmouth Economic Development Authority and the Portsmouth Port & Industrial Commission. Successful projects in which she has been instrumental include the recruitment of retail giant Wal-Mart and the redevelopment of the former Tower Mall site into a strip center anchored by Lowe’s. Additionally, Kahler was      RiverPointe Village, a gated community of custom homes along the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River; and she was involved in the construction and sale       Park. Kahler is a graduate of Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia.


The International Economic


Development Council is the premiere organization for the economic development profession. Serving over 4,600 members, IEDC is the world’s largest professional membership organization providing a diversity of economic development services, including research and advisory services, conferences, professional development and legislative tracking.


IEDC provides economic


developers with the information and tools they need to build local economies and strives to draw upon and increase  its diverse membership.


Scholarship Watch VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program


Virginia High School Seniors Shadowed Bankers Across the Commonwealth for a Chance to Win College Scholarship Money


scholarships and one statewide ($2000) scholarship will be awarded to the winning students.


The students participated in various activities depending on which bank they visited. Sample activities included meeting with various bank departments to learn   borrower, appropriate etiquette during a job interview, how banks are involved in the community, the Federal Reserve System, payments and more.





On March 20, 2012, Virginia high school seniors spent the day shadowing bankers across the Commonwealth as part of VBA Bank Day, a statewide effort sponsored by the Virginia Bankers Association (VBA) Education Foundation and the VBA Leadership Division. The purpose of the day is to expose students to the banking industry and provide an opportunity for the students to learn about banking, 


The third Tuesday in March was declared Bank Day by the Virginia General Assembly in 1991, and this year 131 students participated in this important program at 17 different banks. From their experience, students will write an essay on the 


“Bank Day is one of the best short-term, hands-on experiences that a classroom teacher can offer their students—the opportunity to go inside the bank vault, to w           banks offer, and to start the networking that often leads to part-time and summer  in the classroom, my students always participated in this program and returned to class with an excitement and increased knowledge and interest that could only be attributed to the carefully planned and implemented Bank Day, “said Judy Sams, Business and Information Technology Specialist with the Virginia Department of Education.


For more information about the VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program, visit vabankers.org or contact Chandler Dewey at cdewey@vabankers.org.





High school senior Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher Teacher sponsor


Visit hamptonroadsmessenger.com for a list of 50 scholarships for African Americans Financial Abuse FROM PAGE 1


another person to transact business on your behalf. While powers of attorney can be very helpful, be careful who you name as your representative. “Powers of attorney can be easily misused because they allow the appointed person to step into your shoes and do everything you can do, including taking money from your account and borrowing money in your name,” warned Debi Hodes, an FDIC Consumer Affairs Specialist. “This is a matter to discuss with a lawyer who should prepare or review the document for you.”


   


information. Never give out your bank account numbers, Social Security     numbers), passwords or other sensitive information unless you initiate the contact. These requests may come from an unsolicited phone caller, letter writer, e-mailer or a person who shows up at your door. Be especially wary of someone who congratulates you about winning a (bogus) prize or lottery but  fees.


Also, keep your checkbook,


account statements, and other sensitive information in a safe place. And shred paper documents containing sensitive information that is no longer needed.


Closely monitor your credit card


and bank account activity. Review your account statements as soon as you receive them and look for unauthorized or suspicious transactions, which should be reported to your bank immediately.


Take your time when deciding


      investment. Make sure you understand the transaction and ask questions if you don’t. If you need to, ask a lawyer or  the documents and discuss what’s best for you. “Walk away from anyone who says you must make a decision or otherwise do something right now,” said Hodes.


Be aware of scams involving


reverse mortgages. These loans enable homeowners age 62 or older to borrow


April 2012


money from the equity in their homes. However, reverse mortgages can be complex products with a variety of risks and costs, and there are many reports of schemes by unscrupulous individuals using deceptive offers and high-pressure tactics to steer senior citizens into using the funds from a reverse mortgage for inappropriate or costly loans or investments. For guidance on the responsible use of a reverse mortgage, including how to locate a lender or a housing counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Federal Housing Administration, start at www.hud.gov/   call 1-800-569-4287.


Finally, here are additional tips:      


money or information. If you’d like to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive, consider signing up for the national Do Not Call Registry (call 1-888-382-1222 or visit www. donotcall.gov). If you are on this list, be suspicious of calls from any company or organization that you have reason to believe is not eligible to contact you under the registry’s rules.


    


from strangers to deposit a check into your account (perhaps as part of an Internet sale) and wire some or all of it back. “If you send the money and the check is counterfeit, you may be held  for the losses,” said Michael Benardo, Chief of the FDIC’s Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section.


    


security experts advise against posting the names of relatives and anyone’s home address, full date of birth and daily activities because those can be valuable to a thief. “Ascam on the rise involves con artists who look for personal information on the Internet that they can use to call or e-mail an elderly person and pretend to be a relative in distress — such as a grandchild being injured, in jail or lost in a foreign country — and needing money sent fast, without telling anyone else in the family,” added Benardo. “They may also represent themselves as a lawyer or law enforcement agent needing money to help your relative.”


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