Lesylee D. Hodge and Norman Neece 
AFDICA's 2022 Life Long Career Achievement Awardees

 Association of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Alumni, Inc.
Life Long Achievement award

The By-Laws of the Association of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Alumni, Inc. (AFDICA) allow the recognition of life-long or career achievements of outstanding current or former FDIC employees and their commitment to service to their country.

The criteria for the award should weigh heavily on the significance and long lasting impact of a nominee's accomplishments. Criteria may include, but may not be limited to achievements in the following areas: (1) fellowship, (2) education, (3) charity or (4) support of the mission of AFDICA. 

On September 14, 2022, during AFDICA's  annual meeting, AFDICA President Gail Verley presented the Association's 2022 Life Long Achievement awards to two worthy recipients: Lesylee D. Hodge and Norman Neece.

Attributes and Achievements of the Awardees: 

This year we have two worthy recipients: Ms. Lesylee Hodge and Mr. Norman Neece - lifetime AFDICA members.

Collectively, they were employed by the FDIC for over 60 years and year after year they led charitable drives at their respective offices. Organizations including Toys for Tots, Salvation Army, American Red Cross blood drives, food pantries, homeless shelters and many other charitable organizations benefited from Lesylee and Norm’s leadership to help those less fortunate.  Leading these charitable endeavors, Lesylee and Norm rallied their co-workers for a common purpose of fellowship and charity. These are the kind of FDIC Office activities that made colleagues feel a part of something special by sharing time outside of day-to-day work activities, by supporting the community, and by recognizing shared good fortune.

 In 2010 while working at the FDIC’s Division of Resolutions and Receivership Office in Dallas, Texas, Ms. Hodge decided that she would direct her charitable activities to aid “Habitat for Humanity International.” Better known simply as, “Habitat”, the non-profit organization was founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller. Their corporate offices are in Americus, Georgia and their mission is to “bring people together to build homes, communities and hope.” Thanks in large part to people across the world who volunteer their money, labor, time and talent, Habitat is the largest not-for-profit builder of homes in the world.  They have built or renovated over 35 million homes since 1976. Twenty-nine years after founding Habitat, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Millard Fuller and his wife Linda started another non-profit organization called, “The Fuller Center for Housing” [hereinafter called “Fuller”] and their mission is “to provide adequate shelter for all people in need, worldwide.”

After her first trip to assist in building a home in Egypt, where she worked in the hot desert pouring concrete, building walls concrete block by concrete block and doing a myriad of other tasks, Ms. Hodge made a personal commitment that she would continue in her home building efforts. Making the world stronger, one family at a time by providing them with their first home, is something she felt called to do. After all, the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service to others.

In the months that followed, Ms. Hodge also travelled to Honduras, Peru and one domestic build in Alabama. Typically, she and others on an international building project, pay between $1,000 and $1,500 for meals and shelter for 7 to 10 days and pay 100% of the airfare and other travel costs to get to the build site. As a result, out of pocket costs to assist in the project can exceed $3,500 for each trip. Before her retirement from FDIC in 2017, Ms. Hodge used her accrued annual leave to assist Habitat or Fuller on their worldwide building projects.

In 2013, she recruited a fellow FDIC Alumni, Norm Neece, to join her in her efforts to build homes and sometimes, Community Centers for both Habitat and Fuller. Mr. Neece, a former FDIC Executive was known by his colleagues to be a great leader of people with a big heart and, always willing to help others. It wasn’t long before Mr. Neece realized that he too, felt a great deal of satisfaction knowing that what he was doing was making a real difference in the world. So, like Ms. Hodge, he continues in his unrelenting quest to build shelter for others.

For nearly a decade since they joined forces, Ms. Hodge and Mr. Neece have travelled to India, the Philippines, South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Armenia (twice) and Thailand (three times) on building projects for Habitat and Fuller.  They both have gained considerable knowledge in construction and greatly enhanced their labor skills.  They work with professional builders in setting blocks, digging cisterns for water supply, pouring foundations, setting rebar, framing windows and doors, painting and on occasion, simply bringing cold water to the volunteers on the construction site.

As Ambassadors for our country and our Alumni Association, both Ms. Hodge and Mr. Neece have proven themselves to be worthy of the AFDICA’s Lifelong Achievement Award. They both travel the world at their personal expense to be of service to others……to make the world a little better today than it was yesterday. In recent years, knowing that BIG achievements can only be made by BIG efforts and dreams, they have enlisted the support of others who on occasion, make the journey with them to assist on building projects. Other FDIC Alumni and current FDIC employees who have accompanied them include: 

• Penelope Moreland-Gunn
• Susan McDermott
• Julia Peters
• Angie Holland Baker (Bank Examiner – Atlanta Region)
• Kelly Green (Bank Examiner – Atlanta Region)
• Marguerite Sagatelian

Strength in numbers has led to a better outcome for Habitat, Fuller and the underprivileged families who are moving into homes, often for the first time. The expanded efforts are as a direct result of the outreach by Ms. Hodge and Mr. Neece to other FDIC colleagues who share a common passion to “give back” to those in need. One of the wonderful outcomes of this effort is that some of the FDIC alumni mentioned above are also bringing along family members, growing a new generation of recruits. This would not have been possible without the vision, caring and compassion of our AFDICA Alumni Members, Lesylee Hodge and Norman Neece.

Our 501 (C) (3) Alumni organization was founded in 2016 with the simple premise that a group of FDIC Alumni could collectively, do powerful things – together – if we focus on three basic tenets - FELLOWSHIP, EDUCATION and CHARITY and, direct our money, time and attention to growing the membership. These two nominees, have brought former colleagues together for the selfless purpose of helping others (Fellowship), have trained others in how to go about the task of building a shelter for those in need (Education) and have contributed their time, energy and treasure to benefit people around the world who are simply seeking a safe place and shelter for their families (Charity).

Past Recipients:

The 2018 recipient was Dwight Hills Wilson II, Chief of the Transportation Unit in DOA at headquarters - posthumous award.

The 2019 recipient was Andrew C “Skip” Hove, Vice Chairman and Acting Chairman of the FDIC - posthumous award..

The 2020 recipients were Mitchell Glassman, Douglas H. Jones and Robert  W. Mooney - posthumous award for Mr. Mooney.

The 2021 recipient was Dr. Richard Brown, Chief Economist - posthumous award.