Thank you to everyone who applied for the U.S. Veterans Scholarship
Applications are now closed.
We are now in the final stages of the selection process. The results will be shared at the end of August. Recipients will be notified prior to our public announcement.
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Todd Duso is the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of The Bob Woodruff Foundation. He brings strategic operations and organizational experience from the public and private sectors to the role. Todd has held executive leadership positions in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, and in the Pentagon.
An Army veteran who has seen both combat and noncombat deployments, Todd has a special place in his heart for veterans, military members, and their families. He has lived through many of the challenges the Foundation works to solve. Some of the most difficult, however, were those Todd navigated while transitioning to civilian life, including how to find and build a community to replace what he had in the military.
Todd promotes the Foundation’s mission with the same resolve that took him from enlisted soldier to commissioned officer–more commonly known as a Mustang. He simply does not quit when he believes in something.
Karla Monterrosa-Yancey is the award-winning editor-in-chief of the ACAMS Today (AT) magazine, a publication of ACAMS. Under her guidance, the magazine has won over 300 awards for content, design, copywriting, interviews, media and much more. Recently, Monterrosa-Yancey was selected as part of E&P magazine’s “Editors Extraordinaire Class of 2024.”
Monterrosa-Yancey has expanded the global reach of AT by launching two additional titles to the ACAMS Today repertoire: ACAMS Today Europe digital (published in English, French and German) and ACAMS Today Español digital.
Monterrosa-Yancey is currently a Florida Magazine Association (FMA) board member and former president of the same. She is also a board member of the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative.
Monterrosa-Yancey is extremely involved in the publishing industry and has judged for a string of prestigious awards. Prior to joining ACAMS, Monterrosa-Yancey worked in the accounting, education, and technology industries. Monterrosa-Yancey is CAMS certified, fluent in Spanish, French and holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in business administration.
Nick Schumann is HSBC’s U.S. Head of Financial Crime Framework, where he oversees HSBC’s involvement in public-private partnerships in the U.S., amongst other responsibilities. He is also a U.S. Army Reserve officer with multiple deployments and serves as a leader for “Valor”, HSBC’s Employee Resource Group for veterans. Additionally, Nick helps lead the ACAMS South Florida Chapter as Board Co-Chair.
Before joining HSBC in 2015, Nick spent nearly seven years with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, where he supported the development of targeted financial measures against national security threats with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. While at Treasury, he served as the Senior U.S. Treasury Representative to U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) in Miami, FL, where he helped establish their Counter-Threat Finance Branch.
He earned his MBA and BA (History) from the University of Florida, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from Florida International University. Nick is CAMS certified, and was recognized as the 2023 ACAMS Anti-Financial Crime Professional of the Year.
Michelle Rance is the Instructional Design Supervisor at ACAMS, where she partners with cross-functional teams and subject matter experts to develop engaging compliance learning experiences, including the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) Certification.
Michelle served as an Airborne Cryptologic Linguist Specialist in the United States Air Force for 5.5 years. During that time, she flew 95 combat missions in support of Operation Southern Watch and Provide Promise. She also served as the Hebrew Intelligence Analyst for 2 years and the Hebrew Training Manager for another 2 years. The military introduced her to instructional design and helped her develop those skills.
Michelle was an adjunct faculty member for the National Cryptologic School, where she developed and taught 5 Middle Eastern politics and religion courses. She was also an Instructional Designer at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University prior to joining ACAMS. She has a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology and four children, two of whom are active-duty military.
Michelle’s desire to serve extended beyond her military career and is a motivating factor for why she joined ACAMS.. She earned her CAMS in 2018.
The CAMS Certification
Widely recognized as an international anti-money laundering (AML) credential, the CAMS certification is designed to equip AFC professionals with a broad array of skills and strategies to detect, track, and report illicit financial activity. CAMS-certified professionals not only have the skillsets to help safeguard institutions from criminal exploitation and mitigate AML risks, but they also have the knowledge and training to meet evolving compliance challenges, whether driven by emerging illicit-finance schemes, geopolitical crises, advances in technology, or shifting regulatory priorities.
As part of the program, candidates will learn to:
- Implement effective AFC policies and procedures based on risk;
- Drive a top-down culture of compliance on an enterprise-wide basis;
- Shield institutions from enforcement actions and reputational harm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply?
Who is not eligible to apply?
What is the selection process?
When do applications close?
When do I find out if I have been accepted?
What happens after I have been selected?
Is the ACAMS membership included in the U.S. Veterans Scholarship?
What happens to the complimentary one-year membership if I already have an active ACAMS membership?
Where do I send my CV, proof of educational qualifications, and video interview if I experience technical difficulties?
What is the duration of the U.S. Veterans Scholarship?
What if I fail the exam?
Disclosure for ACAMS Scholarship
By applying for the ACAMS Scholarship, the applicant:
1) Agrees to provide ACAMS a testimonial and grants to ACAMS the irrevocable right and permission to use any testimonial (written or oral), photographs, video recordings or images, sound recordings or other data of the applicant either submitted with the application or taken by ACAMS;
To use, re‐use, publish, republish, copy, modify, display and create derivative works in whole or in section, individually or in conjunction with other photographs, film, video, or other images, sound recordings or testimonials in any medium or format whatsoever (including without limitation, in and on print publications, the internet and other digital transmission or delivery methods) and for any purpose whatsoever, including, without limitation in advertising, marketing, publications, electronic distribution, and the internet and for any other commercial purpose without further consent; and
a) To use the applicant’s name, image, likeness, voice, other personal characteristics, and professional and personal biographical information in connection therewith; and
b) To copyright the same in the name of ACAMS, or any other name that ACAMS may choose; and
2) Waives any and all rights to such photographs, film, video or other images, sound recordings, or testimonials (written or oral) and assigns all such rights in perpetuity to ACAMS and its affiliates and successors.
The applicant acknowledges and agrees that ACAMS has the right to use any materials, including images, the applicant submits for marketing purposes as determined by ACAMS. ACAMS will not be liable to the applicant for its use of such materials or images.
The applicant understands that there will be no payment or other compensation for the permitted use of any testimonial (written or oral), photographs, film, video, other images or sound recordings received or taken by ACAMS or of the applicant’s name, likeness or personal characteristics.
ACAMS shall be the exclusive owner of all rights, including copyright, in the materials. The applicant forever releases and discharges ACAMS from any and all claims and demands arising out of or in connection with the use of such photographs, film, video or other images, sound recordings, or testimonial (written or oral), including but not limited to any claims for defamation, invasion of privacy, right of publicity, emotional distress or any similar right.
The applicant undertakes and warrants that they do not have a relationship with ACAMS, or with anyone employed at ACAMS, and this includes:
a) Serving as a current employee in any capacity at ACAMS; and
b) Being related to anyone employed at ACAMS as either a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child or spouse of a child, brother, sister, or spouse of a brother or sister.
The applicant represents and warrants that any testimonial (written or oral) given is original and does not infringe upon the copyright or proprietary rights of another person or entity.
The applicant further warrants the information they submit will not contain any material which is defamatory, private, confidential, or which is unlawful in any way. Any application found to be in breach of the foregoing statement will be disqualified.