This week as a part of the American Financial Services Association’s 99th annual meeting in Boston, the organization honored three members with its highest accolade, the Distinguished Service Award (DSA).

Receiving the honors were Stevan Schmelzer, Jim Sheeran and Glen Twede.

Schmelzer serves as the president and chief executive officer of Personal Finance Co. Schmelzer first became involved with AFSA 15 years ago and serves on the executive committee and board of directors. He chaired the AFSAPAC in 2013 and the AFSA Independents Section in 2015.

Schmelzer has been an instructor at AFSA’s EDGE education program for consumer finance professionals and has served on the program’s Board of Governors since 2002. From 2008 to 2010, he was president of the Kentucky Consumer Finance Association, where he remains on the board. He also serves on the Tennessee Consumer Finance Association board.

Schmelzer spent nine years with several finance companies before finding a home with Personal Finance in 1986 as a branch manager. Schmelzer earned many promotions throughout the years before he was named chief operating officer in 2007. He added the title of president in 2008, and was promoted to his current position in 2010.

Sheeran is the general counsel with Tidewater Finance Co. Sheeran joined AFSA’s Law Committee in 2005, and served as chair from 2012-2014. During his tenure, he authored the committee’s bylaws, served as parliamentarian and chaired the litigation and emerging issues subcommittees. He chaired the working group that developed AFSA’s Civil Investigative Demand Response Procedures and currently chairs the Ancillary Products Working Group and is developing AFSA’s Cybersecurity Response Procedures. He also serves as the liaison between the Law Committee and the Operations & Regulatory Compliance Committee.

Sheeran joined Tidewater Finance as general counsel in 1999. During the past 16 years, the company has developed new financial service products and grown from a regional to a nationwide financial services company. He received an undergraduate degree with honors in history from George Mason University, followed by a law degree from the College of William and Mary.

Twede serves as the vice president, sales and marketing with GOLDPoint Systems. Twede has been an active member of AFSA since 2004 and has served as chairman of the AFSA Business Partner Board for the past two years. GOLDPoint Systems is a Seven-Star Business Partner and has sponsored the Champions Club session at the AFSA Independents Conference for the last several years.

Twede graduated Magna Cum Laude from Utah State University in 1993 with a degree in business administration and economics. After graduation, he went to work as an accountant for DHI Computing Service, the parent company of GOLDPoint Systems. He eventually worked up to become the chief financial officer of the company. In 2004, he moved to GOLDPoint Systems to develop new business in his current position.