Four young professionals have been selected as finalists and will advance to the next round of the Miriam Rivera Lieb Emerging Leader Award competition hosted by the MD|DC Credit Union Association.

The four finalists are:

Brian Gordon – Spectra Credit Union
Ashok Khadka – NIH Federal Credit Union
Tyler Lardy – Library of Congress Federal Credit Union
Dawn Pappas – Nymeo Federal Credit Union

The next round is the video portion of the competition, where finalists will pitch their ideas on how credit unions can better position themselves as the best financial choice for consumers. Beginning in mid-April, the videos will be posted on the Association’s website and the public will have a chance to vote for their favorite one.

The third phase of the competition is June 17 at CONNECT 2025 when the finalists will make a presentation to attendees following the annual business meeting. The winner will be announced later that day.

The award honors the legacy of Miriam Rivera Lieb, who was a passionate advocate and leader in the credit union movement for more than three decades. The award recognizes a credit union professional, 40 or under, who is dedicated to the core principles of credit unions and demonstrates leadership. The winner receives a valuable professional development package sponsored by TruStage.