5 Credit Unions, CU Realty Services, CUNA Unveil Hires & Promotions

EAST

David Bunch, president/CEO of the $410.6 million, Lanham, Md.-based FedChoice Federal Credit Union, announced his plans to retire at the end of 2021. Bunch has worked at FedChoice since 1987 and been a member since 1979. He started at FedChoice as a mortgage loan officer and opened the credit union to offering mortgage loan programs. He progressed over the years and in January 1996 was named president/CEO. Under Bunch’s leadership over the past 25 years, he has tripled the credit union’s assets to $410 million.

The $6.1 billion, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based Hudson Valley Credit Union promoted Samantha Wong to branch manager at its Highland, N.Y., location. Wong joined the credit union in 2005 as a contact center specialist and has since held several supervisory positions, most recently assistant branch manager at the credit union’s Kingston, N.Y., location. She is currently pursuing her MBA from University of Arizona Global Campus; is a graduate of Leadership Ulster, a program dedicated to educating and advancing future leaders of the Hudson Valley; and serves as a New York State Notary Public.

SECU Financial Partners, a division of the $4.37 billion State Employees Credit Union of Maryland in Linthicum, hired Leslie McElwain and John Harrington as LPL Financial Advisors. In their new roles, they will focus on providing a holistic approach to financial planning, which offers a partnership between advisor and credit union members in support of their overall financial and personal goals.

McElwain brings more than a decade of financial services experience, including eight years of wealth management experience. She most recently spent almost two years at Morgan Stanley in Frederick, Md., as a financial advisor associate and relationship manager. Before that, she spent almost 10 years at Wells Fargo Bank in Gaithersburg, Md., as a premier banker.

Harrington’s financial services career has spanned more than 22 years in retail distribution. He most recently spent more than a year at Edward Jones as a financial advisor. Prior to that, Harrington was SVP at Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, where he was responsible for the distribution of investment strategies in the Mid-Atlantic region. The bulk of Harrington’s investment career was spent at PIMCO, where he spent 17 years, mostly as an SVP/vice president responsible for distribution of investment strategies in the Maryland and Delaware regions.

MIDWEST

The $5.1 billion, Waterloo, Iowa-based Veridian Credit Union announced three promotions.

Benjamin Rowe was promoted to the position of help desk specialist. Rowe has worked at Veridian for five years and was previously a personal computer specialist. He holds an associate degree in computer information systems networking and a bachelor’s degree in information technology management from Hamilton College, and an associate degree in police science from Hawkeye Community College.

Betsy Meehan was promoted to the position of vice president of talent development. Meehan has worked at Veridian for nine years and was previously manager of personnel and recruitment. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Luther College.

Shahzeb Jadoon was promoted to the position of personal computer specialist. Jadoon has worked at Veridian since November and was previously a teller service representative. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and actuarial science from Wartburg College.

The $4.2 billion, Neenah, Wis.-based Community First Credit Union hired Heather Lally-Voigt as COO. Lally-Voigt brings 29 years of industry experience and most recently spent 23 years at the $12.5 billion, Chicago-based Alliant Credit Union as vice president of operations, deposits and payment strategy. In her new role, she will lead the branch and member contact center operations, deposit operations, treasury management, payment strategy, document imaging, fraud and quality review teams. She is currently vice chair of the CUNA Councils Executive Committee, as well as a member and immediate past chair of the CUNA Operations & Member Experience Executive Council.

The $964.6 million, La Crosse, Wis.-based Marine Credit Union hired Grace Ayobi and Tiffany Finstuen as experience officers – newly-created roles designed to enhance and optimize the organization’s digital capabilities. They will be responsible for monitoring the health of the digital experience and developing the roadmap for future experience improvements.

Ayobi most recently served as a solutions architect with a data analytics company in Chicago after starting her career with Merchants Bank in business analytics and project management. Finstuen joins Marine after spending more than a decade at Kaplan Professional, where she most recently served as product manager for a regulated insurance product vertical market.

CUSOS

CU Realty Services, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based provider of real estate services to credit unions, named Herb Behrens CEO effective April 1. Behrens will succeed former CEO Mike Corn, who will transition to chairman of the board for CU Realty and remain a strategic advisor to the company he co-founded and still co-owns. Behrens is the former vice president of mortgage lending for the $4.47 billion, Vernon Hills, Ill.-based Baxter Credit Union (BCU) and has been a member of CU Realty’s board of directors since 2015. In his new role, he is tasked with leading the company’s vision to help credit unions increase their purchase mortgage business and make homeownership even more rewarding for credit union members. The CUSO also announced it will change its name effective June 1 to HomeAdvantage, which is currently the name of its signature real estate program.

TRADES

CUNA promoted Tiffany Lamkins Niederwerfer to vice president of marketing. In her new role, Niederwerfer will be responsible for all activities related to CUNA’s brand identity and oversee the execution of the organization’s marketing strategy. She most recently served as association marketing and brand director for CUNA, where she led the development and implementation of the association’s marketing plans and strategies to support its members. Prior to joining CUNA, she was the communications manager for Filene Research Institute.

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