Ray Lindley was promoted to chief lending officer. In his new role, Lindley will continue enhancing Elevations' lending processes and offerings.

Lindley (pictured) brings vast expertise in consumer, retail, mortgage and business lending operations to his new role. Most recently, he served as SVP of lending at Elevations. Prior to joining the credit union in 2013, Lindley led teams at Washington Mutual and Chase.

The $3.5 billion Redwood Credit Union in Santa Rosa, Calif., named Gonzalo Romo as community liaison in the community department. Gonzalo will represent RCU at nonprofit and community events in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Marin and San Francisco counties, and will support community efforts for RCU's 17 branches in these communities.

SOUTH

The $645 million Power Financial Credit Union in Pembroke Pines, Fla., hired Claire Bergquist as EVP, chief talent and knowledge officer. Bergquist will be responsible for implementing management procedures, employee engagement strategies, management and employee coaching and training, salary and benefits administration, recruitment and employee relations, and retention. She also will oversee human resources compliance.

Mary Svoboda, COO for the $379 million Jax Federal Credit Union in Jacksonville, Fla., has also assumed the role of chief lending officer.

This dual role helps position the credit union for positive long-term growth and sustainability. Svoboda has more than 30 years of professional experience in the credit union industry.

The $2 billion Ascend Federal Credit Union inTullahoma, Tenn., hired three employees.

Mary Pollard was hired as assistant vice president of consumer lending. Pollard is also working toward a business management degree online with University of Phoenix. Before joining the credit union, she was vice president of lending at the $660 million Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union in Pensacola, Fla.

Mark Brown (pictured) was hired as SVP of information technology. Brown will lead and manage the information technology staff and help provide leading edge technology to members and employees. Before joining the credit union, he was the director of information security at Surgery Partners in Nashville.

Leslie Copeland was hired as SVP of strategy and planning. Copeland will play a major role using her data analytics skills to help lead the credit union toward its strategic goals. Before joining the credit union, she was the director of database marketing at Direct General Insurance in Nashville. 

Each quarter, the $2.3 billion Robins Financial Credit Union in Warner Robins, Ga., selects three employees that represent the best of the best in three categories: Manager, support department staff and branch staff. Employees are selected by management based on their outstanding work performance and written recommendations from their peers.

The credit union recognized the following employees the second quarter of 2017:

Barbara Mead (pictured), Chantilly branch manager. She has been employed by Robins Financial for 34 years.

Ronnie Hardman, maintenance worker for Robins Financial. He has been employed with Robins Financial for one year.

Mandy Miller, senior member service representative with the Hartley Bridge branch. She has been employed with Robins Financial for three years.

CUSOs

CSCU, one of the nation's largest payments processing associations, announced President/CEO Robert Hackney will be retiring at the end of the year. Hackney has served the company for nearly two decades. In that time, the CUSO has grown extensively to become the nation's largest card processing association. As part of CSCU's longtime succession plan, Tom Davis, SVP of finance and technology, will assume the role of president and COO and become CEO effective Jan. 1, 2018. Davis has been with the company for more than 10 years and is a recognized subject matter expert in finance, technology, payments and strategic planning. 

TRADES

NAFCU hired one employee and promoted another. Jacqueline Ortiz Ramsay was hired as vice president of media relations and communications. As vice president, Ramsay will oversee NAFCU's media relations and communications division and help drive the organization's political communications and messaging strategy.

Curt Long was promoted to vice president of research. Long first joined NAFCU in 2010 and earned a series of promotions that culminated in his appointment in August 2014 as chief economist and director of research. Long guides the production of a number of NAFCU's member publications.

Please send your People news items to Tahira Hayes at [email protected].