Gerard H. Schmitt, Vice President of Marketing, Bethpage Federal Credit Union and East Northport, NY resident, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Association of Greater Suffolk. UCP Suffolk assists approximately 4,000 children and adults with a wide variety of disabilities and their families annually.
Programs and services provided by UCP Suffolk include job training and placement, physical therapy, individual and family support, as well as early intervention, preschool, school age, adult day and residential programs. UCP also operates a comprehensive fully accessible Health Center for persons with disabilities. A seasoned marketing and business executive, Mr. Schmitt brings an extensive background in corporate management, client services and marketing experience to his new position on the UCP Suffolk Board.
As Vice President of Marketing for Bethpage, Gerard Schmitt is an integral part of the senior management team and directly responsible for creating and implementing the credit union's strategic marketing direction for branding and promoting Long Island's leading credit union. Schmitt oversees all aspects of Bethpage's advertising initiatives, public relations programs and social media outreach.
Prior to joining Bethpage, Schmitt was an advertising agency executive responsible for strategic marketing and client relations. Previous employment included positions with the U.S. arm of the global insurance brokerage and risk management consulting operation of Alexander & Alexander Services, Inc., responsible for corporate identity, public relations, advertising, publications and overall marketing strategy.
Mr. Schmitt holds an M.B.A. in marketing from the City University of New York where he also earned his B.A. Active in professional associations, he has served on the board of the New York chapter of the Business Marketing Association (BMA) and been the recipient of that association's Advertising Executive of the Year award. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at Baruch College and the New York Institute of Technology, and is a former board member of Tomorrow's Hope Foundation. Mr. Schmitt and his wife, Janet, live in East Northport.
Bethpage Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative, existing solely to serve its members and has experienced rapid growth in recent years to become a strong alternative to banks. Bethpage was approved for the largest federal community charter in the U.S. in 2003 and now is Long Island's largest credit union and leading community financial institution with over 180,000 members, 22 branches and 60 shared service center locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties. As a financial cooperative, Bethpage offers better rates, lower fees and a full menu of personal and commercial financial services.
Bethpage maintains branch locations in Bay Shore, Bethpage, Central Islip, Commack, Elmont, Farmingdale, Freeport, Glen Cove, Hempstead, Huntington, Levittown, Lynbrook, Massapequa, Melville, Mineola, North Babylon, Port Jefferson, Riverhead, Seaford, Smithtown, Roosevelt and Westbury with over 250 surcharge-free ATMs in King Kullen, 7-Eleven, Walgreen's and Costco locations throughout Long Island. For more information, call 1-800-628-7070 or visit www.lovebethpage.com.