Michele Albanese, President of BCC Monte Pruno, was awarded the "Federico II Award - Lucanian Excellence - Lifetime Achievement Award."

The third edition of the “Federico II – Eccellenze Lucane” Award took place on Saturday 20 September in the prestigious setting of the Palazzo Ducale in Pietragalla. This award recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves through their work and commitment in a variety of fields – professional, artistic, literary, and social – contributing to promoting inclusion, equality, and equal opportunities.

The event, organized by the Regional Councilor for Equality Ivana Pipponzi , together with the Basilicata Region and other associations and under the presidency of the artist Alberto Barra , recalled the cultural and innovative legacy of Frederick II, underlining the importance of those who know how to combine competence, vision and a spirit of service.

Among the winners of this edition, the President of Banca Monte Pruno Michele Albanese , to whom the Board of Directors and Councilor Pipponzi awarded the recognition of Lucanian Excellence and Lifetime Achievement Award.

The citation emphasizes how Albanese has dedicated his life to developing the community in which he lives and works, both economically and socially. He has distinguished himself through his career at the top of the Cooperative Credit Union and his humane outlook, always attentive to the most vulnerable and the needs of the local community.

The ceremony was enriched by a keynote lecture by Professor Donato Loscalzo on "The Basilicata of Frederick II" and musical interludes by Graziano Accinni and Gianmarco Natalina.

At the end of the evening, President Michele Albanese, satisfied, declared:

Receiving the prestigious Federico II Award – Lucanian Excellence/Lifetime Achievement Award is an immense honor and a profound joy for me. It's a recognition I consider not only personal, but also one I feel I must share with the greater Banca Monte Pruno community and with all those who have walked alongside me on a 48-year career marked by hard work, dedication, and a sense of belonging to our region .

My most sincere thanks go to Regional Councilor for Equality Ivana Pipponzi, who with intelligence, sensitivity, and passion carries out extraordinary work in favor of equality, culture, and the valorization of our excellence. Her ability to combine civic commitment, institutional rigor, and human connection is an example to us all.

This award is not a point of arrival, but an encouragement to continue, with humility and determination, in the wake of the values ​​that have always guided me: honesty, responsibility, team spirit and dedication to the community .