7 CUs Announce 10 Employee Hires, Promotions & Retirements

WEST

The $2.4 billion Nusenda Credit Union in Albuquerque, N.M., named Michelle Dearholt EVP of operations. In her new role, Dearholt will oversee the credit union’s employee experience, member experience, project and process management, and support services departments, as well as the credit union’s call center. She spent 20 years in organizational development in the financial, retail service, distribution and manufacturing sectors; 18 of those years were with Nusenda.

The $1 billion Bay Federal Credit Union in Capitola, Calif., promoted Tina Musgrave to assistant vice president, marketing and member engagement.

In her new role, she will manage and direct digital marketing efforts to increase member engagement, and drive revenue growth and actionable insights to support the strategic vision of the credit union. Musgrave has been with Bay Federal for six years and served in the role of marketing and development manager since 2015.

MIDWEST

The $490 million Cinfed Credit Union in Cincinnati named Keith R. Braun SVP of member experience. Braun brings more than 25 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry to the position, in which he will be responsible for driving and coordinating business development through retail outlets, outside sales efforts and marketing initiatives. He will also oversee the development and execution of corporate strategy with an emphasis on product sales, member service, financial performance and operational excellence.

SOUTH

The $3.2 billion University Federal Credit Union in Austin, Texas announced four employee changes.

Tom Garrett was named vice president, finance/CFO. Garrett has a long history of developing exceptional leaders. He will help the credit union with planning, developing and executing finance, data analysis and process improvement strategies to support the cooperative’s goals and objectives. Garrett will focus on developing, retaining and collaborating with the organization’s professionals.

Chris Miller was named vice president of asset protection. In this role, Miller will be responsible for UFCU’s overall security, including fraud prevention, business continuity and disaster recovery, emergency action planning, physical and information security, and facilities management.

Previously, Miller served as senior manager of asset protection. In addition to his new duties, Miller will be responsible for collections after he is named vice president of enterprise risk management following Ellen Simpson’s retirement in June 2020. Miller and Simpson will work together during the transition.

Jim Brown was named vice president of retail lending. In his new role, Brown will lead UFCU’s consumer, mortgage and insurance services.

He will direct retail lending operations and insurance services to implement initiatives to meet member needs and oversee all retail lending and insurance functions, including long-term strategy development, implementation and oversight. He will also monitor and analyze local and national market conditions and recommend action as needed. Previously, Brown served as director of retail lending.

Mike Clifford was named EVP of operations and strategy. Clifford is replacing Yung Tran, who retired at the end of 2019 after 24 years of service.

Clifford will lead the planning, development, and execution of strategies and tactics to support UFCU’s programs and objectives. In addition to his new role, Clifford will continue to serve as chief information officer. Clifford joined UFCU in 2018. He is a seasoned executive with experience at a number of national and global brands, including Dell, PepsiCo and Taco Bell.

The $24.7 billion Pentagon Federal Credit Union in Tysons, Va., promoted William “Bill” Heyer to SVP, deputy general counsel. Heyer manages the legal department’s attorneys and support staff, and is responsible for legal affairs of the credit union, as well as the coordination, oversight and management of retained counsel. Heyer continues to report to PenFed General Counsel Scott Lind. Heyer previously held the positions of director, assistant general counsel and vice president, associate general counsel during his eight years at PenFed.

The $1.3 billion Texas Trust Credit Union in Arlington, Texas announced EVP Pamela Stephens is retiring at the end of this month, ending a 37-year career in the credit union industry. Stephens began her credit union career as a secretary in the audit department of the Nebraska Credit Union League. She then moved to Security One Federal Credit Union as controller, working her way up to the position of president/CEO. In that role, she led Security One for 25 years, including overseeing the 2013 merger between Security One and Texas Trust. At Texas Trust, Stephens has been a key part of the executive leadership team, overseeing a number of departments and strategic initiatives, and helping the credit union become a $1 billion financial institution.

The $1 billion Amplify Credit Union in Austin, Texas hired Bob Almand as assistant vice president of third-party lending. With more than 15 years of leadership experience in the second lien mortgages marketplace, Almand will be responsible for growing Amplify’s third-party lending products to meet the evolving challenges of the industry. Before joining Amplify, Almand worked in IBC First Equity’s Austin office, offering second-lien mortgages to residents of Texas and Oklahoma.

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