SECU Members Partner to Provide SECU Public Service Intern Program

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Partnering with the NC Rural Economic Development Center, Inc., State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members via the SECU Foundation are pleased to fund the new SECU Public Service Intern program for college students from rural North Carolina. The 2013 Summer Intern program will award 35 paid internships to rising sophomores or juniors from North Carolina universities or community colleges. Under the program, SECU Public Service Interns will be able to explore potential careers in their home communities or regions through a four-week summer internship in their local county government. The member-funded SECU Foundation will contribute $7,500 per participant for costs associated with the program, with a total initiative cost of $262,500.

“We must find meaningful ways to involve our young people in the life of their communities”

Applications will be accepted in March, with the selection of interns made by the NC Rural Center in April. The SECU Summer Public Service Intern program will provide an opportunity to promote the culture of public service and foster a new generation of rural community leaders. Local county sponsors and the Rural Center’s leadership training, program studies, and community projects will further enhance the interns’ effectiveness within their home counties.

“We must find meaningful ways to involve our young people in the life of their communities,” said Billy Ray Hall, President of the NC Rural Economic Development Center. “It’s the single most important thing we can do for the future of rural North Carolina --- and this is exactly what SECU’s Public Service Intern program is all about. The Rural Center is delighted to serve as a partner in launching this exciting new program.”

Jim Barber, SECU Foundation Board Chair comments, “We are excited to partner with the NC Rural Economic Development Center to support the SECU Public Service Intern program for North Carolina’s young college students. The educational benefits and unique experience of this program for students and their local county sponsors will have a positive impact on the economic future of many North Carolina rural communities.”

About SECU and the SECU Foundation

A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, SECU has been providing employees of the State of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for 75 years. With 1.8 million members, SECU provides services through 248 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, 24/7 Contact Centers and a website, www.ncsecu.org. The SECU Foundation, a 501c (3) charitable organization funded solely by the contributions of SECU members, promotes local community development in North Carolina primarily through high impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare and human services.

About the Rural Center

The NC Rural Economic Development Center is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop sound economic strategies that improve the quality of life in rural North Carolina, with a special focus on individuals with low to moderate incomes and communities with limited resources. The center operates a multifaceted program that includes conducting research into rural issues; testing promising rural development strategies; advocating for policy and program innovations; and building the productive capacity of rural leaders, entrepreneurs and community organizations.