You’ve heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day, now get ready for the most important meal of the year! Please join us as we celebrate our 2021 Champion for Youth, Dick Ehst, President & Chief Operating Officer of Customers Bank.

ABOUT DICK EHST

Richard A. Ehst, fondly known to many as “Dick”, is a founder, along with former Chairman and CEO, Jay S. Sidhu, of Customers Bank; a $10.1 billion-asset super-community bank headquartered in Wyomissing, PA with offices in Chicago, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington, DC.

Dick began his banking career in 1968 following his service in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He attended Albright College, and previously served as a member of Albright’s Board of Trustees where he also chaired its Enrollment Management Committee. He is a graduate of the Commercial Bank Management Program at Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

Dick is often invited to speak to local, national and international audiences. He has addressed business leaders in New York, was the keynote speaker at the 21^st International Seminar on Finance in Tokyo, Japan, sponsored by the Japanese Financial News Network, and has been a featured speaker at conferences in the United Kingdom and Israel. Arguably, his most memorable and impactful “speaking” engagement occurred during the many years he appeared as Santa Claus to an audience of children at Reading’s Opportunity House.

In addition to the many board and community affiliations in which he has served throughout the course of his journey, Dick, along with his lovely wife Angela, is an ardent philanthropist. They consistently demonstrate their commitment to community by giving liberally to organizations and causes that positively impact the lives of others, such as the Caron Foundation and the John Paul ll Center. Dick believes in the importance of giving a “hand up”, not just a “hand out” in order to effect sustainable, long-term success for future generations.

ABOUT BEN SCHUCKER

Meet Ben Schucker: Fleetwood native, Y staff member, Breakfast of Champions 2021 Youth Honoree.

Ben was recommended for employment to Tri Valley YMCA by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and has been on staff for nearly a year. While his official duties around the Y include cleaning and performing general maintenance around the branch and Leap and Learn Childcare Center, Ben is not the type to limit himself to just the basics; he is incredibly ambitious, always looking to help wherever he is needed. He frequently helps out at events and has also become our resident greeter. Ben always makes a point to welcome members, children and parents with a smile and a kind word. It is these qualities that make Ben the unique person he is and why we have chosen to honor him as the 2020 Youth Champion.

While many members love having Ben around, he is especially popular with the children at the Leap and Learn Child Care Center and is frequently greeted with shouts of “Mr. Ben!” It’s safe to say that he feels the same way about our students. When asked about his favorite memory of his time at the Y, Ben had a concrete answer. “When the kids at Leap and Learn sang Happy Birthday to me,” he said, “it brought me to tears.”

In his spare time, Ben loves to listen to country music and catch a Penn State game. However, Ben is quite a busy guy and works two additional jobs outside of the Y; he works at Giant in Kutztown and at Evergreen German Club in Fleetwood. If you see Ben out in the community, say hello. You’re sure to get a smile and a warm welcome right back!