Wescom CU, Truliant FCU, Filene Appoint New Talent

WEST

The $720 million Clark County Credit Union in Las Vegas, Nev., named Patricia Ochal CFO. Ochal brings banking experience and expertise in accounting and management to the executive team at Clark County CU. Ochal comes to the credit union from First Security Bank of Nevada in Las Vegas, where she served as president/CFO and was responsible for financial recording and rating, staffing quality, internal controls and the overall operations of the bank. Ochal also established considerable relationships on behalf of the bank, resulting in substantial expansion of customer deposits and liquidity.

The $3.9 billion Wescom Credit Union in Pasadena, Calif, appointed Mark Dy-Ragos to vice president of information security. In his role, Dy-Ragos is responsible for bolstering Wescom’s Security Awareness program that aims to help increase the organization’s understanding of the risk and threats of the evolving cyber world, and how to protect the organization and its members from cyber-attacks. In addition, Dy-Ragos will oversee Wescom’s comprehensive security program, focusing on identifying gaps, setting targets, and establishing metrics to measure and improve the organization’s security maturity level.

The $7.4 billion Alaska USA Federal Credit Union in Anchorage, Alaska, promoted Stephanie Maxwell to vice president, digital channels. She was previously manager, digital channels. Maxwell brings a wealth of experience to the position, having started with Alaska USA as a teller and accepting positions of increased responsibility during her 10-year career with the credit union.

EAST

The $652 million Direct Federal Credit Union in Needham, Mass., named Devon Lyon to the position of vice president, strategic research and risk management. As part of Direct’s senior leadership team, Lyon will provide research for strategic initiatives, build and manage Direct’s enterprise risk management system and oversee the credit union’s compliance function. Additionally, Lyon will serve as Direct’s liaison to the credit union community. Lyon comes to Direct with extensive experience in the credit union industry, most recently as director of education at NAFCU, where he designed and implemented all educational content.

MIDWEST

The $1.8 billion Corporate Central Credit Union in Muskego, Wis., hired Kent Tushaus as a senior software engineer. Tushaus will deliver business process improvements and automation to better assist internal operation needs. He will also design, develop and integrate efficient business intelligence and database systems, and front-end user interfaces. Tushaus brings more than 30 years of experience developing business applications for clients in various industries, including the financial industry.

The $3.9 billion Veridian Credit Union in Waterloo, Iowa, hired Alex Tangeman as a PC specialist. Tangeman, a resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa, previously worked at Atlas MedStaff. He has an associate’s degree in general studies from Iowa Western Community College and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

SOUTH

Kathy Garner, president/CEO of the $2.6 billion Catalyst Corporate Federal Credit Union in Plano, Texas, announced she will retire in March 2019. Garner has led the credit union since 2012, when the combination of Georgia Corporate Federal Credit Union and Southwest Bridge Corporate Federal Credit Union formed the new entity. During her tenure, Catalyst Corporate has grown to serve nearly 1,400 credit unions with a wide array of payment, liquidity and investment services. Catalyst Corporate’s board of directors tapped Bruce Fox, the credit union’s current EVP and chief investment officer, to become president/CEO. Fox has spent more than 27 years with Catalyst Corporate and its preceding organizations. In addition to directing asset/liability management, balance sheet management and lending functions, Fox serves as principal of Catalyst Strategic Solutions, Catalyst Corporate’s CUSO.

VENDORS

The Filene Research Institute named Bill Maurer, dean of the school of social sciences, professor of anthropology and law, and director of the Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion at the University of California, Irvine, as the lead research fellow of Filene’s Center for Emerging Technology. The Centers of Excellence form the pillars of Filene’s research agenda, which seeks to advance consumer financial wellness by transforming cooperative finance and moving credit unions forward. Five premier scholars from a variety of disciplines –consumer insights, business strategy, operational efficiency, talent management and technology – dive deep into the central challenges facing financial institutions and especially credit unions today and tomorrow.

Please send your People news items to Tahira Hayes at thayes@cutimes.com.