8 CUs, the Cornerstone League & LenderClose Appoint Talent

WEST

The $1 billion Bay Federal Credit Union in Capitola, Calif., hired Camac Serna as a home loan consultant, joining the home loans team. Serna is the organization’s first bilingual home loan consultant in the Salinas, Calif., area. The Salinas branch, located in at 356 Main St., was formerly Coast-Tel Federal Credit Union, which completed its merger into Bay Federal earlier this summer. Serna first joined Bay Federal in 1999 as a teller at the Santa Cruz branch before leaving to pursue a career in mortgages and other financial services.

The Trust for Credit Unions Board of Trustees appointed Erin Mendez, president/CEO of the $7 billion, Pleasanton, Calif.-based Patelco Credit Union, as its newest trustee. TCU is the largest family of institutional mutual funds created specifically for credit unions’ unique investment needs. The trustees are a vital component of TCU’s organizational and governance structure. On behalf of TCU’s credit union investors, the board of trustees oversees the performance of each service provider and monitors risk management.

EAST

The $727 million Leominster Credit Union in Leominster, Mass., hired Katie Najjar as SVP of retail. Najjar will oversee Leominster’s entire branch network, all deposit products and related retail services. Najjar will report to John O’Brien, president/CEO, and she will participate as a member of the senior management team. Najjar has extensive member service experience as well as comprehensive knowledge of leading engaging learning initiatives, maximizing new ways of learning and emphasizing a strong culture.

MIDWEST

The $756 million Ideal Credit Union in Woodbury, Minn., promoted Chee Thao to branch manager of its Grove Heights office. Thao will coordinate branch operations and take an active role in the Inver Grove Heights community. Prior to his promotion, Thao served as employee development specialist in Ideal’s human resources department. He has also worked as an account relationship specialist and member service trainer. Thao has been a member of the credit union since 2007 and joined the Ideal team in 2015. He has seven years of experience in the financial services industry.

The $1.3 billion Firefly Credit Union in Burnsville, Minn., hired Mayka Thao as assistant vice president/director of planning and delivery. In her new role, Thao will utilize her knowledge and experience to recommend prioritization of projects to meet business objectives, enhance the member experience and maximize the use of resources. She will provide guidance while utilizing various planning and delivery frameworks as she leads the team on a highly visible and complex portfolio of programs.

SOUTH

The $251 million 1st Financial Federal Credit Union in Wentzville, Mo., a not-for-profit Community Development Financial Institution, named Gina Wright as mortgage manager. Wright brings 20 of experience in the financial industry to the new position. As mortgage manager, Wright will lead the mortgage department to a new level of success with a streamlined approach to lending, and an emphasis on building and sustaining community and business relationships.

The $3.5 billion Northwest Federal Credit Union in Herndon, Va., hired Jean Cain as SVP of human resources.

Cain most recently served as vice president and chief human resources officer at Noblis in Reston, Va. Prior to that, Cain’s more than 30 years in human resources included management positions at The MITRE Corporation in McLean, Va., and Montgomery County Teachers Federal Credit Union in Rockville, Md. Cain will oversee Northwest Federal’s human resources and training teams and participate in the overall strategies of the credit union as part of the executive team.

The $2.9 billion Keesler Federal Credit Union in Biloxi, Miss., promoted Ben Donald to director of retail operations, northern region. In his new position, Donald will oversee operations for Keesler Federal branches stretching from Hattiesburg to Madison, Miss. The northern region includes three branches in Hattiesburg and five in the greater Jackson, Miss., area, three of which opened in the last year. Donald previously served as a Pine Belt regional manager, overseeing operations in Hattiesburg and Petal, Miss.

TRADES

The Cornerstone Credit Union League hired Gilianne “Gili” Carter as the new executive director of its political division in Austin, Texas. Carter brings more than 30 years of government relations experience at federal, state and local levels to the position. Previously, Carter served as director of legislative affairs for Pedernales Electric Cooperative, representing and advocating for the largest electric cooperative in the United States at the federal and state levels. Pedernales is a nonprofit cooperative that serves more than one million members within the central Texas Hill Country.

VENDORS

Des Moines, Iowa fintech LenderClose hired Kiara Moyer as a software developer. Moyer’s addition brings the LenderClose headcount to 28, a growth of 25 employees over 18 months. Prior to joining LenderClose, Moyer worked as a programmer for IMT Insurance, a provider of personal and commercial insurance products. She has experience in test-driven development, a practice that is growing in popularity within agile programming environments. Moyer brings skills spanning multiple operating systems, programming languages, web development technologies and frameworks to LenderClose.

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