RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – Mark Hiatt, previously senior vice president, loan servicing, for CUNA Mutual Mortgage Corp. for the past five years, was named president/CEO of CU West Mortgage by the company's board. His appointment was effective July 14. CU West Mortgage, an equally owned mortgage company of the California Credit Union league and Orange County Teachers FCU of Santa Ana, was formed earlier this year (CU Times, April 2) to provide mortgage services to California CUs from a company that has a local presence. Prior to his svp position with CUNA Mutual Mortgage Corp., Hiatt was an executive for nine years with CUNA Mutual Mortgage Corp.'s predecessor, CU Mortgage Corp. Hiatt's appointment as president/CEO of CU West Mortgage comes three months after CCUL President David Chatfield asserted that CUNA Mutual Mortgage "reneged" on an agreement the Madison, Wis.-based mortgage company had with the California Credit Union League in 1998 that CMM would retain a presence in California. CMM moved its back office operations out of California last year. Jim McCourt, svp, home ownership solutions for CUNA Mutual Group, denied the allegation. Hiatt expects CU West Mortgage to be operational by the fourth quarter 2003. Besides Hiatt, CU West Mortgage has hired three other former CUNA Mutual Mortgage Corp. staff members.