The National Notary Association (NNA) announced JPMorgan Chase & Co. as the 2014 recipient of its March Fong Eu Achievement Award. The firm is being honored for launching its One Chase Notary Program, taking on the challenge of standardizing Notary Public procedures throughout the firm nationwide, and implementing Notary best practices across all of its business divisions.
The National Notary Association chose to honor JPMorgan Chase because of this program and its recognition of the vital role trusted notarizations lay in building consumer confidence. JPMorgan Chase is the first company to receive the coveted annual award, which for more than three decades has been presented to an individual.
“We created the right standard for our company across the country by sitting down and looking at how we could be more consistent for both our customers and our colleagues,” said Tracey Gilliam, the JPMorgan Chase associate general counsel who led the program’s design and development.”
“The One Chase Notary program underscores the valuable role Notaries play in consumer protection,” said Tom Heymann, president and chief executive officer of the National Notary Association. “Notaries add trust to a transaction by affirming a signer’s identity and confirming their understanding and intent to sign a document.”
With Chase’s support, the NNA extended its Hotline services to accommodate the needs of branch Notaries who often have customers at their desks and must respond to a variety of questions quickly and confidently. The NNA Hotline fielded more than 131,000 calls in 2013, including 1,500 each month from Chase Notaries.
The award is named for its first recipient – former California Secretary of State March Fong Eu – who spearheaded progressive Notary reform legislation despite opposition from powerful lobbies. The award is presented annually to individuals whose efforts elevate the excellence and professionalism of the Notary Public office.