Credit Unions Unveil Hires, Promotions & Board Appointments
This week’s news also includes career moves at CO-OP, the AACUC and Your Marketing Co.
WEST
The $1 billion Ventura County Credit Union in Ventura, Calif., promoted Edith Campa to community development manager. In her new role, Campa will oversee financial literacy programs and seminars, as well as modest means outreach efforts with the Hispanic and senior demographics and Select Employer Groups. Campa joined VCCU in 2008 as a branch employee. In 2011, she became a community outreach officer, then served as assistant branch manager at the Port Hueneme branch and later as branch manager at the RiverPark branch.
Redwood Credit Union ($5.7 billion, Santa Rosa, Calif.) promoted Ken Kondo to vice president of innovation and development. In his new role, Kondo will lead the data development and application development teams, as well as the business systems analyst teams to advance strategic and innovative initiatives for the institution. Kondo joined RCU in 2016 with 18 years of credit union experience, having worked in implementations, programming and as a senior software engineer, chief technology officer and business intelligence solutions specialist. He recently served on the advisory board for Symitar’s Advanced Reporting for Credit Unions and is a member of CUNA’s technology council.
EAST
Bethpage Federal Credit Union ($9.9 billion, Bethpage, N.Y.) named Jorge Martinez, the deputy mayor of Freeport, N.Y., the new chair of the board. Martinez has served as a deputy mayor since 2012, a position he was elected to following his five-year role as a trustee. He is also the owner of J & A Group, a Long Island, N.Y., commercial maintenance company. He holds a second board position as the director of Vision Long Island, and is also the coordinator of the Long Island Sustainable Business Council. Additional promotions announced during Bethpage’s annual board meeting included Vinny Scicchitano of Vytra/HIP/Emblem Health Plans and Grumman Data Systems as vice chair; Anne Brigis, president/CEO of YMCA of Long Island, as secretary; and Gregg Nevola of Northwell Health as treasurer.
Chris Modesti was appointed chair of the board of directors for The Summit Federal Credit Union ($1 billion, Rochester, N.Y.). A member of the board since 2013, he also served on the supervisory committee for over four years, including as chair. Since 2019, Chris has been the EVP and CFO of Sweeteners Plus, LLC, a manufacturer and distributor of sugar products in Lakeville, N.Y. Formerly President of Biomaxx, Inc., he remains on the board there, and is also a board director at Highland Hospital and the Rochester Chapter of Financial Executives International, as well as a trustee of the University of Rochester Newman Interfaith Chapel.
Transportation Federal Credit Union ($270 million, Alexandria, Va.) hired Aman Kaushal as CFO. Kaushal comes to Transportation FCU from the $1.4 billion Greylock Federal Credit Union in Pittsfield, Mass., where he held the position of assistant vice president/controller for nearly two years. Before his time at Greylock, Kaushal held the role of corporate financial controller at Crosscap Media Services Inc. for six years.
MIDWEST
The $1.4 billion, Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Consumers Credit Union hired EllenGrace Hauenstein as a mortgage loan officer in the Grand Rapids, Mich., market. Hauenstein, a graduate of Grand Valley State University, will be based at the credit union’s newly-opened 54th Street location in Wyoming.
SOUTH
The $160 million ēCO Credit Union in Birmingham, Ala., appointed Jonathan Lemsky as a board member. Lemsky is the project manager for Surveying and Mapping, LLC’s Birmingham office. He has over 15 years of experience providing geospatial data solutions to federal, state and local governments, as well as commercial private sector organizations. Lemsky’s expertise has allowed him to manage projects across multiple sectors, including oil and gas, electric power generation, transmission and distribution, regulatory compliance, and solar and wind. He will fill the board vacancy created by the passing of long-time board member Dr. Eddie Pruden.
CUSOS
Rudy Pereira, president/CEO of the $3 billion Premier America Credit Union in Chatsworth, Calif., joined the board of directors of CO-OP Financial Services, elected to a three-year term during the company’s annual meeting of shareholders held Aug. 18. Pereira has been with Premier America since 2017, and was previously president/CEO of the $3.2 billion Royal Credit Union of Eau Claire, Wis., since 2011. Two other credit union leaders were reelected to three-year terms on the board during the shareholders meeting: Benson Porter, president/CEO of the $24.7 billion BECU of Tukwila, Wash., to a third three-year term; and Robert Chavez, president/CEO of the $2.89 billion Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union of Albuquerque, N.M., to a second three-year term.
TRADES
The African-American Credit Union Coalition elected Larry D. Sewell, vice president of corporate partnerships and advocacy for Together Credit Union ($2 billion, St. Louis, Mo.), as chairman of the board of directors. Sewell was first appointed to the AACUC’s board of directors in 2016 and then elected for a three-year term in 2017. In 2018, he became vice chairman, serving two consecutive terms. Sewell, a retired commissioned officer for the U.S. Air Force, joined Together CU, formerly Anheuser-Busch Employees’ Credit Union, in 1995 as vice president of training and development before stepping into his current role. He mentors new credit union employees through the OWLs (Older Wiser Leaders) Employee Resource Group and serves on the credit union’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. Sewell also gives back to his community as chair of the planning commission for the City of O’Fallon, Ill., a position he has held since 2009.
VENDORS
Your Marketing Co., a strategic planning, branding and marketing firm serving credit unions, announced two promotions and a move to a newly-created position.
Frank Allgood, who has been with the YMC team for four years, was promoted from senior relationship development leader to vice president of relationship development. His primary goal will be to lead the team in client strategy and professional development. He has more than 15 years of experience in every facet of public information and marketing communications.
Jennifer Pham was promoted to vice president of ideas and results. She will lead the design, digital, content and social media teams in strategy and creative development, as well as professional development. She started as a junior graphic designer, most recently served as lead graphic designer and has been with the team for four years.
Lauren Robirds will fill the newly-created digital strategy manager position.
Robirds has been with the team for three years and will be managing all paid digital marketing, pay-per-click and search engine marketing for clients.
Please send your People news items to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com.