9 CUs Including Canvas, Kitsap & Cobalt Announce Career Milestones

WEST

The $3.27 billion Canvas Credit Union in Lone Tree, Colo., hired two new executives.

Elry Armaza was hired as vice president of marketing. He comes to Canvas after a six-year tenure at Filene Research Institute in Madison, Wis., where he served as custom research director. Prior to Filene, he spent six years at the $4.2 billion UW Credit Union in Madison working in retail lending. Armaza has worked with Canvas since 2018, supporting its ongoing brand research during the credit union’s transformation from Public Service Credit Union to Canvas. Most recently, he conducted new research around the correlation between Canvas members and well-being. In his new role, he will lead marketing efforts with data-driven insights, and bring innovative ways to act on what Canvas is hearing from its members, family, and others to support growth and more.

Ashlee Battocletti was hired as vice president of retail engagement. Battocletti comes to Canvas after a seven-year tenure at Blue Federal Credit Union ($1.44 billion, Cheyenne, Wyo.), most recently as the vice president of experience and development. In her new role, she will be focused on seeking connections with employees and members to improve financial service experiences and bring innovative transformations to how members experience Canvas across 29 branch locations.

The $1.8 billion Westerra Credit Union in Denver promoted Ellie Fordyce to chief people officer from SVP of talent. Fordyce has been with Westerra for just over two years, and is responsible for driving successful implementation of culture change initiatives while embracing the organization’s business and financial objectives. Fordyce draws from over a decade of experience in human resource strategies, leadership development, talent acquisition and management, and organizational development.

The $1.73 billion, Bremerton, Wash.-based Kitsap Credit Union promoted Flora Damian and John Morrissey from their positions as branch managers to business development managers in the credit union’s marketing department, effective April 5. In their new roles, they are responsible for enriching the organization’s relationships with local Realtors and real estate companies, and will help grow KCU’s mortgage lending business.

Damian holds 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. For the past two years, she was the branch manager at KCU’s newest branch in Puyallup South Hill, where she coached and led a five-person team.

Morrissey holds over 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to taking on this new position, he was the branch manager at KCU’s Bremerton Harborside and Drive-Up Branch for more than five years. He is also very active within the community and has held leadership positions at the non-profits Downtown Bremerton Association, Bremerton Chamber of Commerce, Kitsap Public Facilities District and Asset Building Coalition of Kitsap.

Blue Federal Credit Union hired Selina Hoflund as chief people officer to oversee human resources and personnel development. Hofland has over 30 years of experience as an HR professional working for a variety of organizations, including financial institutions. She received an executive MBA from Hawaii Pacific University and a PhD in organization and management from Capella University. She is certified by the Association for Integrative Psychology as a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.

EAST

The $3.75 billion, Westbury, N.Y.-based Jovia Financial Credit Union hired Casey Mauldin to its executive team as chief revenue/lending officer. Mauldin brings a wealth of wide-ranging financial services experience to the position, having served in senior leadership positions at several regional and national institutions, including chief lending officer at NXG Bank in Columbia, Md., vice president/commercial lender at the $3.3 billion Truliant Federal Credit Union in Winston Salem, N.C., and president/CEO of MOXY Bank in Washington, D.C.

The Maine State Senate appointed Renee Ouellette, president/CEO of the $385.6 million, Orono, Maine-based University Credit Union, to the Finance Authority of Maine’s volunteer board of directors effective March 8, 2021. Maine Governor Janet T. Mills nominated Ouellette to fill the board’s designated CPA position for a four-year term. Ouellette has over 25 years of experience in finance, including the last 11 years at UCU. Before taking the helm at UCU a little over a year ago, she served as the credit union’s SVP of finance for 10 years.

MIDWEST

The $1.55 billion, Falcon Heights, Minn.-based SPIRE Credit Union hired Tom Langseth as an investment services advisor and registered representative of Infinex Investments, Inc., the company through which SPIRE offers investment and insurance products and services. He brings 30 years of financial services industry experience, and in his new role, will serve members in SPIRE’s Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Maple Grove and Roseville branches.

The $1 billion, Papillion, Neb.-based Cobalt Credit Union announced two promotions. Brian Pickering was promoted to chief marketing officer. He most recently served as vice president of marketing, and in his new role, he will be responsible for creating and executing marketing strategies that produce value for the credit union and its membership. He holds an Accreditation in Public Relations certification.

Allison Malone was promoted to vice president of culture development and marketing. Malone has been with Cobalt since November 2009. She began her career at Cobalt as an HR and marketing assistant and later rose to the position of vice president of culture development. In her new dual role, Malone will be responsible for managing the day-to-day functions of both culture development and marketing. She holds a master of arts in communications from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

The $127 million, Livonia, Mich.-based Catholic Vantage Financial Credit Union hired Eric Rothert as vice president of marketing. Rothert joins with nearly 20 years’ experience in marketing, business development and consumer education for credit unions and industry affiliated organizations. In addition to his financial services experience, he served in a leadership role for All Saints Catholic School in Canton, Mich. In 2019, he received the Credit Union Business Development endorsement from CUNA and earned his Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor endorsement in 2020.

AGENCIES

The NCUA hired Samuel Schumach as deputy director for external affairs and communications. Schumach joins the NCUA from the Federal Aviation Administration, where he served as a legislative affairs officer, responsible for managing legislative affairs and communications for the Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Prior to his FAA experience, Schumach was a media spokesperson for the CFPB and served as the press secretary for the United States Office of Personnel Management, The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and for former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). His private sector experience includes strategic communication and congressional relations consulting at Deloitte Consulting, LLP. He also served for nearly a decade as an enlisted member in the active and reserve components of the United States Air Force. He is a partner in the Truman National Security Project, an associate member of the Hispanic Bar Association of D.C., a member of the National Press Club and holds a private pilot license.

VENDORS

LenderClose, a Des Moines, Iowa-based provider of a real estate and home equity lending technology platform, appointed Stefanie Rupert, president/CEO of the $1.3 billion Collins Community Credit Union in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to its board of directors. Rupert has more than 30 years of experience in the banking and credit union industries, has founded several CUSOs and serves on an advisory council with Fiserv. She was also recently featured as a Woman of Influence by the Corridor Business Journal and the Des Moines Business Record.

Banking technology solution provider Nymbus hired three women to its leadership team.

Trish North was hired as chief customer officer. North most recently served at Alloy Labs Alliance, and prior to that, was a founding member and led customer success at Numerated Growth Technologies, a fintech startup that began in 2014 as Eastern Labs within and for Eastern Bank. In her new role, she is responsible for maximizing the delivery of exceptional customer outcomes across new and existing Nymbus clients.

Michelle Prohaska was hired as chief compliance officer. Prohaska previously served at audit, tax and consulting firm RSM US, where she worked with over 100 financial institution clients as a regulatory and compliance consultant before becoming vice president of risk management at the $954.5 million, Moline, Ill.-based Vibrant Credit Union.

Crina Pupaza was hired as chief people officer. Pupaza most recently served as the SVP of people for Insider Intelligence, and before that, she held several positions with OppenheimerFunds. In her new role, she will continue building a robust talent pipeline at Nymbus while ensuring the integrity of the company’s workplace culture.

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