ATHENS, Ga.– Southeastern Regional Credit Union School said that Kristen Shambro of Centric Federal Credit Union, West Monroe, La., has been awarded the 2025 Hugh Watson Award.
Selected by vote of her classmates, Shambro accepted the award on June 20 during this year’s session of the Southeast Management School in Athens. The award recognizes the exceptional contributions she has made to the class over the course of the three-year program and her outstanding leadership skills.
Shambro currently serves as assistant vice president of operations at Centric Federal Credit Union. Since joining the team in 2011, she has held a variety of roles—including cash manager, business services representative, and training coordinator—gaining deep experience across credit union operations. She is passionate about making processes smarter and more efficient, “one project and page at a time,” according to SRCUS.
“If I’m being honest, the only award I thought I’d be up for was ‘Most Likely to Create a Quizlet,’ so receiving the Hugh Watson Award from such a wonderful group of classmates is incredibly humbling,” said Shambro in a statement. “SRCUS has been a journey full of growth, laughter, and more ratios than I thought possible to learn. I’m especially grateful to my Centric family for supporting my development every step of the way—this experience reminds me that leadership is a blend of heart, hustle, and always being ready to learn. And best of all, I’m walking away with lifelong friendships that made every challenge a little more fun and every success even sweeter.”
In 2015, SRCUS instituted the Hugh Watson Award to recognize an outstanding third-year student that demonstrates the characteristics of leadership and excellence – traits embodied by Hugh Watson, the award’s namesake.
Watson joined the SRCUS faculty in 1971 and during his tenure, he taught in all three years, served as academic coordinator and facilitated the third-year simulation for 43 years. Upon his retirement from SRCUS, the Hugh Watson Award was established.
