DATE: September 25, 2005

FiSCA Names Steve Hanson Check Casher of the Year

New York – Steve Hanson, President of Hanson Management Corporation, has been named “Check Casher of the Year” by the Financial Service Centers of America (FiSCA).

Hanson was awarded for his many years of service to the industry and his dedicated commitment to FiSCA as a board member and committee leader, and for his outstanding contributions to several prominent association and industry projects.

“Steve Hanson has been a formidable force in the financial service center industry for over twenty years,” said Gary A. Dachis, chairman of FiSCA. “His leadership has not only benefited this association, but entrepreneurs who have learned from his nationally distributed training manual. The Check Casher of the Year award marks his place among the industry’s best.”

Mr. Hanson opened stores in 1984 under Hanson Management Corporation in Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon. In 1985, Mr. Hanson developed a manual explaining an alternative to franchising and providing the functions necessary to efficiently open and operate a check cashing business.  HMC has performed these services for over 50 individual clients who later opened in excess of 250 check cashing stores in over 20 states using the training, policies and procedures provided. 

In 1986, Mr. Hanson formed the predecessor to what is now know as Oak Brook Financial Corporation (Oak Brook) with Thomas C. Shauklas and others with the initial purpose of purchasing the assets of the two check cashing stores originally established by Mr. Hanson in 1982.  Oak Brook later went on to purchase additional stores from former clients of HMC’s.  Oak Brook and its related entities have owned stores in North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, California, and Oregon.  Oak Brook and HMC currently own 44 check cashing/payday loan stores in Oregon and Washington.

In addition to serving on the board of FiSCA, Steve has been an elected Director of the National Check Cashers Association since 1988, and is a member of several state associations. He currently is the Vice President of the Community Financial Services Association of Oregon.

Mr. Hanson earned an MBA from the University of Utah and passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination in Oregon.  He currently lives in Oregon with his wife, Linda.

FiSCA is a national trade association founded in 1987. The organization is the leading voice of the check cashing industry, representing more than 5,000 members. FiSCA members provide check cashing, money orders, electronic bill payments, money wire transfers, automatic teller machine access, government benefit and payroll payments, deferred deposit services, electronic tax preparation, prepaid debit cards, deposit acceptance services, public transportation fare and token sales, motor vehicle license plate and title distribution, postage stamp sales and numerous other services. For more information visit www.fisca.org.

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