The Federal Reserve appointed Lourdes Cortez, president/CEO for the $223 million, Totowa, N.J.-based North Jersey Federal Credit Union, to serve on the Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. Cortez was chosen from 182 credit unions in New Jersey. The prestigious honor recognizes Cortez's 30-plus years as a credit union executive and her wealth of experience.

“I am certainly honored to become a part of such an important council,” Cortez said about her new appointment. “Since my team and I have significantly grown our credit union through a variety of strategies, I hope to provide input on issues and lessons learned about financial institutions and the communities we serve.”

Credit union leaders on the 2016 council include Council President Michael J. Castellana, president/CEO for the Albany, N.Y.-based State Employees Federal Credit Union ($3 billion in assets); Glenn D. Barks, president/CEO of the Chesterfield, Mo.-based First Community Credit Union ($2 billion in assets); and Jan Roche, president/CEO of State Department Federal Credit Union ($1.7 billion in assets) in Alexandria, Va.