More than 200 guests gathered at the Renaissance Washington during the GAC for CU Times' 10th Annual Trailblazer Awards reception to mingle, make valuable connections, and most importantly recognize the shining stars of the credit union industry. This year, CU Times honored five executives, one volunteer and two credit unions for their outstanding service and leadership.
Bethpage FCU CEO Wayne Grossé, second from left, and senior vice president of Corporate Affairs Linda Armyn, second from left, accepts the CU Times Trailblazer Award for Outstanding Political Action. At left is CO-OP Financial Services senior vice president Caroline Willard, and at right is CU Times Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Sarah Snell Cooke.
At center, Jonathan Patrick, chief lending officer/senior vice president for the $225 million, Knoxville, Tenn.-based UT FCU, accepts the Lending Officer of the Year Trailblazer Award from CU Direct President/CEO Tony Boutelle and Cooke.
Annette Zimmerman, at right, president/CEO for the $443 million PrimeWay FCU in Houston, was the Trailblazer CEO of the Year.
Guests, including tie dye shirt-clad Crash the GAC participants, gave it up for the winners at CU Times' 2015 Trailblazer Awards reception.
CU Times' Trailblazer Award for Outstanding Service to the Underserved went to the $61 million Tuscaloosa CU in Tuscaloosa, Ala. President/CEO Tommy Cobb, pictured with CU Times Executive Editor Heather Anderson, accepted the award.
James C. Barbre III, board director for the $1.3 billion Associated CU in Norcross, Ga., has spent his adult life serving credit unions and received CU Times' 2015 Volunteer of the Year Trailblazer Award.
Cathy Graham, center, vice president of marketing for the $3.6 billion Desert Schools FCU in Phoenix, accepts the Marketing Executive of the Year Trailblazer Award from Willard and Cooke.
Vice President of Information Systems for the $325 million, Charlotte, N.C.-based Charlotte Metro CU, David Cooper II (center), is named the 2015 Trailblazer IT Executive of the Year. At left is Symitar Senior Director of Operations Ed Miller.
Members of The Cooperative Trust and CUNA's Crash the GAC program pose for selfies at CU Times' Trailblazer Awards reception, where they had a chance to mingle with seasoned executives.
NCUA heavy hitters attended the Trailblazer Awards, including, from left, Chief of Staff Steve Bosack, Chairman Debbie Matz, Vice Chairman Rick Metsger and his Senior Policy Advisor Michael Radway.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
