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The $851 million, Philadelphia, Pa.-based Ardent Credit Union has launched a multi-year partnership with the athletics program at Villanova University, a private Philadelphia-area Roman Catholic university.
According to an announcement from Ardent on Tuesday, the partnership will allow the credit union to be present at select Villanova football, men's and women's basketball, and men's lacrosse games throughout the school year. Ardent will also have the opportunity to market its brand directly to Villanova Athletics fans: The credit union's tagline, "Grit Makes Great," will be featured in "Grit Makes Great Play of The Game" segments, which highlight the most impressive plays from football, men's basketball and women's basketball games. In addition, the credit union will sponsor the Villanova's men's basketball Post-Game Live show segment "Turning Point of the Game" and the university's 2022-2023 "Walking with the Wildcats" program, which features in-depth profiles of Villanova student-athletes and staff.
"We are thrilled to be a proud partner of Villanova University's storied athletics department," Ardent President/CEO Rob Werner stated. "They exemplify our belief in never settling for average or stopping when there's work to be done – that grit makes great. We're grateful for this opportunity to share our accessible approach to banking and financial literacy with Wildcats of all ages, from students taking stock of their finances for the first time to families preparing for the next big chapter of their lives."
The news represented Ardent's continued efforts to bring financial education to its communities through sports-related partnerships: In April 2022, the credit union announced a financial wellness initiative with Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Matt Freese.
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
