Career Moves Revealed at CUSOs, NAFCU & 7 Credit Unions

WEST

The $3 billion, Olympia, Wash.-based WSECU promoted Briana Mickelson to vice president of member experience. In her new role, Mickelson oversees a team that continues to improve members’ experience with WSECU by making changes and enhancements based on member needs. Mickelson’s 10-year tenure with WSECU began in the contact center, where she most recently served as its director.

Elevations Credit Union ($2.27 billion, Boulder, Colo.) promoted three employees.

Sarah Schupp was promoted to vice president of business banking. Schupp will draw on more than 16 years of experience helping small businesses grow and unlock their potential. She started her career immediately after college as an entrepreneur, launching a platform that connected parents of high school students with more than 200 colleges across the country. She was recognized as one of Inc. Magazine’s Top Entrepreneurs and one of Denver Business Journal’s Top Women Under 40.

On the commercial lending team, Tom Beckett was promoted to associate vice president of commercial lending and Courtney Gimeno was promoted to commercial loan officer.

Both will expand their roles as they provide commercial real estate loan and construction loan solutions to members along Colorado’s Front Range.

EAST

GFA Federal Credit Union ($580 million, Gardner, Mass.) promoted Jaime Brewer to the position of AVP/regional branch manager for the credit union’s Ashburnham and Winchendon locations. Brewer has 20 years of experience in financial services, including 15 years with GFA, where she started as a teller supervisor and also served as the retail trainer for all frontline staff.

MIDWEST

The $4.5 billion, Waterloo, Iowa-based Veridian Credit Union promoted Bryce Hesse to the position of core systems specialist. Hesse has worked at Veridian for six years and was previously an eServices specialist.

Cobalt Credit Union ($1 billion, Papillion, Neb.) promoted Jade Brown to manager of its Ames Branch, where she oversees day-to-day operations and ensures members’ banking needs are met. Brown has been with Cobalt for eight years and has served on the Cobalt Young Professionals board for two years. Brown is active with local youth organizations in the Omaha community, including donating school supplies and working with Sacred Heart School’s financial literacy programs.

SOUTH

The $6.9 billion, Atlanta-based Delta Community Credit Union named Arpan Patel assistant vice president of enterprise risk management. Patel brings extensive risk management experience from the FDIC, where he held several positions over the past 11 years and, most recently, served as a commissioned senior large financial institutions examiner.

The Austin, Texas-based, $1.9 billion A+ Federal Credit Union hired Michelle Peterson as its first chief member experience officer.

Peterson is a long-time credit union executive with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. She comes to A+FCU from the $3.6 billion Travis Credit Union in Vacaville, Calif., where she was chief retail officer/SVP member experience. There she oversaw all retail areas including 24 branches and the contact center, as well as digital delivery, investments and insurance services.

CUSOS

myCUmortgage, a wholly-owned CUSO of the $5.2 billion Wright-Patt Credit Union in Beavercreek, Ohio, hired Michael R. Christians as vice president of mortgage risk management. He has more than two decades of experience in the financial services industry, with a primary focus on consumer compliance. He obtained his Juris Doctorate from Drake University Law School in Iowa, where he is licensed to practice law.

CU Evolution in Cross Roads, Texas hired Lorri Gaither as a senior development strategist.

Gaither comes to the CUSO with more than 20 years of experience in financial services. Most recently, she served as vice president of operations and engagement for the Cornerstone Credit Union League based in Plano, Texas.

TRADES

The boards of directors of NAFCU and Junior Achievement (JA) of San Diego County named Debra Schwartz, president/CEO of the $4.3 billion, San Diego-based Mission Federal Credit Union as board chair. Schwartz previously served on the NAFCU Executive Committee as board treasurer and has been a director-at-large since 2012. During that time, she has been a NAFCU Services Corporation board member and has supported NAFCU initiatives in meetings with the Federal Reserve, CFPB and numerous members of Congress. She also chaired NAFCU’s Investment, Awards and Memberships Committees and served on its Regulatory Committee and Region V Advisory Committee. JA of San Diego County, which has a partnership with Mission Fed, is dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their futures, and make smart academic and economic choices.

Please send your People news items to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com.