8 Credit Unions Announce New Summer 2020 Hires & Promotions

WEST

The $4.47 billion, Pasadena, Calif.-based Wescom Credit Union filled three vice president positions.

Gary Kokonyan brings nearly 20 years of experience to his role as vice president of business analytics. He previously served as a senior director at Farmers Insurance, focusing on customer segmentation and pursuing value-driven millennial households.

Jeff Smrcka was appointed vice president of consumer lending.

He brings 22 years of consumer banking experience at three institutions – TCF National Bank, Endura Financial Credit Union and most recently TruStone Financial Federal Credit Union ($1.7 billion, Plymouth, Minn.)

Darren Hoshide will serve as vice president of branch operations for Wescom’s Region II, which includes branches in Orange, West Covina and Riverside, Calif.

He brings 17 years of financial industry and branch operations experience, including as senior branch manager and vice president for Wells Fargo.

EAST

Vice President of Human Resources Mary Wright retired from the $950 million, Waltham, Mass.-based RTN Federal Credit Union on July 31 after more than 32 years of service to the credit union. Wright joined RTN in 1988 as executive assistant to then-CEO Paul Kicza, and was appointed vice president in the mid-1990s. She and her husband are relocating to South Carolina. Viana Lucchesi assumed the role of vice president of human resources on Aug. 1 after serving as RTN’s assistant vice president of human resources for eight years, and as MAFCU’s vice president of human resources prior to its merger with RTN in 2012.

The $2 billion, Albany, N.Y.-based CAP COM Federal Credit Union hired Carin Urban as vice president of member services, overseeing CAP COM’s 11 branches and member contact center. She joins CAP COM after five years at Berkshire Bank. She most recently served as first vice president, regional manager, where she oversaw 24 branches in New York and Vermont. Urban also served in leadership roles at KeyBank and Citizens Bank.

First Atlantic Federal Credit Union ($289 million, Eatontown, N.J.) promoted Ann Goldinak to EVP.

She joined First Atlantic in 2014 as SVP and CFO, and previously served as CFO at North Jersey Federal Credit Union ($240 million, Totowa, N.J.), where she worked for eight years. She also held positions of increasing authority at Ernst and Young and Warner Lambert (now Pfizer).

MIDWEST

The $1 billion Cobalt Credit Union in Papillion, Neb., promoted Haylie Rodgers to chief risk officer. She will oversee risk management for Cobalt, ensuring processes are running efficiently, effectively and in compliance with state and federal regulations. Rodgers has been with Cobalt for five years and previously served as internal auditor and vice president of internal audit and compliance.

Stephanie Schmidt was promoted to assistant vice president, member services at the $4.3 billion Corporate Central Credit Union in Muskego, Wis.

In her new role, Schmidt will direct operational support of Corporate Central’s products and services to facilitate excellent member service, ensure alignment of department processes and procedures with relevant regulations, and mentor member services staff, among other duties. She started her career in the credit union industry as a teller, working her way up to loan officer and lead member service representative. She joined Corporate Central in 2015 as a member services representative, and in 2016 was promoted to member services specialist and the following year to manager, member services.

SOUTH

The $4.4 billion Tinker Federal Credit Union in Oklahoma City, Okla., named Joseph Arthur vice president and regional director of branch operations. He will provide oversight and direction to 32 TFCU branches. Arthur joined TFCU in 2002 and has held various frontline and branch operations positions. In 2007, he was promoted to senior member services supervisor. Most recently, he served as vice president and manager of TFCU’s OKC, Northeast branch for 12 years.

The $9.5 billion VyStar Credit Union in Jacksonville, Fla., promoted one employee and hired another.

Vasu Sambasivam joined VyStar as an SVP overseeing the digital engineering, software development and enterprise architecture teams. He brings 25 years of experience in IT leadership, software development, architecture and operations at organizations such as Goldman Sachs, Raymond James Financial and Zions Bancorporation.

William Barefield was promoted to SVP, IT service delivery. He is responsible for managing and delivering VyStar’s technology and business plan initiatives to expand services available to members.

He leads the project management office, quality assurance, analyst and product teams, and end-user services. Barefield has over 25 years of experience in information technology.

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