CU Professionals Receive Promotions & Recognitions

WEST

Monica Belz, CEO of the $125.9 million, Lihue, Hawaii-based Kauai Government Employees Federal Credit Union, was recognized by Pacific Edge Magazine’s 2020 Business Achievement Awards as Hawaii’s Business Executive of the Year. Belz has been at the helm of KGEFCU for three years, navigating local businesses through the floods on Kauai in 2018 and now steering the community through a pandemic.

MIDWEST

The $1.4 billion Consumers Credit Union in Kalamazoo, Mich., promoted Mauri Story to mortgage loan officer in the Kalamazoo market, specifically the Corner@Drake office. The Western Michigan University business major has been working at Consumers since 2013 – first as a teller, but most recently as part of the team of mortgage processors working behind the scenes.

The $1.45 billion, St. Paul, Minn.-based Hiway Credit Union hired Brianne Meszaros as vice president of branch operations.

Meszaros brings over 22 years of member service, branch operations and business development experience to the credit union. Prior to joining Hiway, she was with Ameriprise Bank as director of operations. Before joining Ameriprise, she spent 21 years in the credit union world, including nine years with REAL Financial Credit Union and 10 years with Royal Credit Union ($3.3 billion, Eau Claire, Wis.), which merged with REAL Financial in 2008. During her tenure with Royal, she held various leadership roles in branch operations, including serving as vice president of branch operations for three years, playing a key role in Royal’s Minnesota branch expansion.

Kelli Ellsworth Etchison, chief marketing officer and chief diversity officer for the $800 million, Lansing, Mich.-based LAFCU, was appointed to Michigan’s Black Leadership Advisory Council by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The council, housed in the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, was created to serve in an advisory capacity to the governor and develop, review and recommend policies and actions designed to prevent and eradicate discrimination and racial inequity in Michigan. Its 16 members and four committee chairs were selected from more than 650 applicants. Each member represents Black leaders in a specific field. Ellsworth Etchison is a representative in economics for the term running Nov. 12, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2023.

EAST

Tina M. Sbrega, president/CEO for GFA Federal Credit Union ($593.6 million, Gardner, Mass.) will retire in spring 2021. She will continue to serve in a leadership role as chair of the wholly-owned subsidiary of GFA, Lighthouse Biz Solutions, LLC. Sbrega has worked in the financial industry for more than 45 years and with GFA since 1980. She was promoted from her position as president/COO to president/CEO in 2009. Under her leadership, GFA increased its branch locations, more than doubled its asset size and became the first credit union in the nation to purchase a stock-owned bank in 2012. More recently, GFA was the first financial institution in Massachusetts to provide banking services to the legal, licensed recreational and medicinal cannabis industry. In 2020, Sbrega was inducted into the CCUA’s Hall of Fame, and has received numerous awards over the years for her innovation and community engagement.

The $4.27 billion State Employees Credit Union of Maryland in Linthicum appointed Jim Mellendick as vice president of SECU Financial Partners, a newly-formed division of the credit union slated to launch in 2021. With over 16 years of experience in wealth management and banking, Mellendick will build and lead a team of diverse financial advisors. Prior to joining SECU, he spent 11 years at Wells Fargo, where he most recently served as SVP, strategy consultant for the partnership between branch and banking wealth management. Before that, he was a regional brokerage manager at Wells Fargo Advisors in Central Virginia. Mellendick has served with the Regional Brokerage Manager National Advisory Council, board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Virginia and Virginia Supportive Housing.

The $892 million Harvard University Employees Credit Union in Cambridge, Mass., hired Katie Armstrong as CFO. In addition to overseeing the finance, collections and compliance functions, Armstrong will be a member of HUECU’s senior leadership. She has worked in financial services for over a decade, most recently as CFO for the $345 million Boston Firefighters Credit Union in Dorchester, Mass. Prior to that, her professional history included roles at Admirals Bank and the auditing firm Wolf & Company.

SOUTH

The $935.4 million, Bartlesville, Okla.-based Truity Federal Credit Union promoted Kelli Blair to chief strategy officer. In addition to providing oversight for the marketing department, eCommerce and people development, she will provide oversight for Truity’s project management teams. Blair began working at the credit union in September 1985 as a teller and has held numerous roles at the credit union in her 35-year career. She is an interpreter for the deaf and director of the Hearing Impaired Ministry at First Baptist Church in Bartlesville, a volunteer chaplain for the Tulsa State Fair, and volunteer for the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Teams with certification in Critical Incident Stress Management.

CUSOS

Michigan Business Connection, LLC, an Ann Arbor-based commercial lending CUSO, welcomed three new employees.

Patrick Pattison joined MBC as a business lending associate. Pattison will work with credit unions to process small business loans along with providing training and support. He will also work directly with credit union business borrowers. His financial services career began more than 25 years ago as a commercial credit analyst for Michigan National Bank. He was then promoted to branch manager before becoming a private banking/medical practice group assistant vice president for Fifth Third. Pattison most recently served as a Key Bank NA Private-Banking Associate.

Taryn Wilkie joined MBC as an operations associate. In her new role, she will provide support for the documentation and servicing departments, as well as assist with support duties related to loan records and digital and physical files. Wilkie began her financial services career at Bank of America before joining Monroe Bank & Trust as a customer service representative, where she was promoted to ATM maintenance representative and then to electronic banking representative. She most recently worked as an operations specialist for Waterford Bank.

Rayna Fackender joined MBC as an administrative assistant. In her new role, she will provide administrative support for the operations and servicing departments. She began her career in administration in 2010, when she worked at a legal support firm based in Minnesota as an operations administrator. Fackender most recently held positions with Lawrence Tech and a digital marketing firm.

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