Junior Achievement of Berrien & Cass County New Board Members
Junior Achievement of Berrien & Cass Counties
ADDS NEW BOARD MEMBERs
Junior Achievement of Berrien & Cass Counties (JABAC) recently announced the addition of three new board members, Scott Crawford, Sturgis Bank & Trust, Alex Schaeffer, Kruggel Lawton and Marla Schneider, Cornerstone Alliance. “We are so pleased to welcome these three community leaders to the board,” said Laura Lutterbeck, COO, JA of the Michigan Great Lakes (JAMGL). “We are grateful for their willingness to engage with JA and share their time and talents.”
Scott Crawford serves as a commercial lender with Sturgis Bank & Trust. Crawford’s career has spanned multiple roles within financial services, from mortgage advising to member services. Before coming to Sturgis Bank & Trust, he spent over seven years advancing clients’ financial well-being at United Federal Credit Union. Each position, whether as a mortgage advisor, member service advisor, or even in earlier sales roles, equipped Crawford with the skills and insights to guide clients effectively through complex financial decisions.
Alex Schaeffer, CPA is a partner with Kruggel Lawton. Schaeffer has 24 years of public accounting experience and has been a partner at Kruggel Lawton for the last seven years. He serves as the firm’s partner in the St. Joseph office and firm Municipal/School District leader for the firm. He is also the quality control director.
Schaeffer received his B.B.A. in both Accountancy and Finance from Western Michigan University. He is a Lakeshore graduate and lifelong resident of Berrien County where he has also served as the treasurer for the Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen.
Marla Schneider serves as President / CEO of Cornerstone Alliance, Berrien County’s lead economic development organization. She is responsible for guiding the organization’s strategic vision and leading initiatives that attract and retain business investment, strengthen communities, and expand opportunities for residents and employers across Southwest Michigan. Prior to joining Cornerstone Alliance in 2024, she served as President of Greater Muskegon Economic Development.
Schneider holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She has been named multiple times to Crain’s Grand Rapids 200 Most Influential Leaders in West Michigan, reflecting her strong reputation for building collaborative partnerships and delivering meaningful results.
Junior Achievement’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy by providing work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship programs to K-12 students. If you would like to support Junior Achievement of Berrien & Cass Counties either financially or by volunteering, please call 616-575-9080.
About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.6 million students per year in 112 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.6 million students served by operations in 121 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.
