Sutherland becomes 'Young & Free' spokesperson
May 6, 2009 
The Gazette
Twenty-two-year-old Josh Sutherland was recently named the winner of South Carolina Federal Credit Union’s “ultimate job search” and the first Young and Free South Carolina spokesperson.
"Josh is dynamic, likable and definitely comfortable with the Internet, so it’s no surprise that he’s captured the attention of the 25-and-under crowd,” said South Carolina Federal President and CEO Scott Woods. “By working with Josh, we hope to better understand the financial needs of 18-25 year olds."
As the spokesperson for Young and Free South Carolina, Sutherland becomes a salaried employee of South Carolina Federal for one year. He will serve as a reporter and advocate for his age group, attending events and creating regular online videos and blogs to keep content fresh at YoungFreeSC.com.
"In this role, I want to help my peers and young people everywhere save money and avoid too much debt,” Sutherland said. “My goal is to educate, primarily in an entertaining way."
Sutherland is a 2008 graduate of the University of South Carolina Honors College. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business with a major in marketing and minor in advertising and public relations.
He was informed of his winning status at a surprise gathering of family and friends, where he accepted the official job offer from Woods.
In the race to become the official spokesperson for Young and Free South Carolina, Sutherland faced fierce competition from finalists Kelly Gaskins, 24, of Bonneau, and Kyle Whitcroft, 25, of Goose Creek.
All three finalists mounted broad social networking campaigns to gain public votes at YoungFreeSC.com. The site received thousands of votes during the voting period and Sutherland took 50 percent in the final tally.
