Professionals Celebrate New Roles, Accolades at 7 CUs & LSCU

EAST

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union ($1.7 billion, Lowell, Mass.) announced two promotions.

Robin Lorenzen was promoted to SVP and chief marketing officer. Lorenzen joined Jeanne D’Arc in 2019 as marketing director and was promoted to vice president of marketing and financial education soon after. In her new role, she will continue to oversee marketing and financial education, including the three high school branches, and will oversee community engagement and the We Share A Common Thread Foundation. Lorenzen brings an extensive marketing background, having spent 28 years working in media, which included serving as a vice president of marketing for 19 years.

Alison Hughes was promoted to assistant vice president – community engagement officer. Hughes joined the credit union in 2017, has been heavily involved with hundreds of local non-profits in the Greater Lowell area and is the driving force behind the We Share a Common Thread Annual Fundraiser. She has created many initiatives and partnerships such as the “Smile Station” for Lowell General Hospital, “Reading with Rowdy” and the TEAM 2020 fundraiser.

The $190 million SkyPoint Federal Credit Union in Germantown, Md., hired Audra Pettus as director of community relations. Pettus brings 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, a focus of which has been equipping communities with financial literacy. She has worked for both larger national banks and community financial institutions, where she gained experience in brand sales and service, lending and operations, and business development. She holds a master’s of arts in strategic communications from American University in Washington, D.C. In her new role, she will head upcoming community events and continue to build the credit union’s relationships with community partners, special interest groups and non-profit organizations going forward.

American Eagle Financial Credit Union ($2.3 billion, East Hartford, Conn.) hired Ryan McEleney as SVP, chief people officer. As chief people officer, McEleney will serve on the executive leadership team, leading the advancement of talent management and human capital development strategies, as well as cultivating workforce plans and programs that align with the organization’s overall business objectives. He brings nearly 20 years of human resources and training experience to American Eagle, most recently serving as SVP, director of HR analytics and technology at Webster Bank. He previously held positions in the areas of incentive compensation, HR strategy, and talent and culture programs. He has been a featured speaker at HR Leaders, the HR Leadership Summit, Innovate Work, Future of Work and HR for Financial Services, to name a few, and has also been a guest lecturer at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. In addition, McEleney serves as director and co-chair of the DEI committee for the Governor’s Prevention Partnership, and cofounded and now serves as a director for Walk with Us, an organization supporting families impacted by brain cancer.

MIDWEST

LAFCU ($950 million, Lansing, Mich.) hired Zac Williams as a data analyst in the marketing department. In his new position, Williams analyzes and provides data on which the credit union bases strategic decisions affecting product development, on-target communication and goal achievement. He has more than 10 years of experience as an analyst, having worked as a sales analyst for an international packaging and container manufacturer, and as a forecast analyst and marketing research and support analyst for a national provider of energy, fiber optics and wireless communications. Williams earned a master’s in sociology with a concentration in applied demography at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

The $1 billion Great Lakes Credit Union in Bannockburn, Ill., hired Elizabeth Osborne as COO. Osborne comes with an extensive leadership background and over 20 years of management experience in the financial and restaurant industries. She began her financial career at State Street Corporation as a business analyst, then progressed to project manager. She next moved to Belmont Savings Bank as the vice president and director of strategic projects, and later became chief information officer. When Belmont Savings Bank merged with People’s United Bank in 2019, Osborne stepped into the role of enterprise program manager. In her new role as COO, she will play a critical role in the digital transformation of the credit union and its vision of offering best-in-class service within any channel the member chooses.

SOUTH

The $939 million, Miramar, Fla.-based Tropical Financial Credit Union hired Nicole Phillips as digital and social media content strategist. In her new role, she is responsible for creating compelling content to share throughout Tropical Financial’s digital and social media platforms and engaging a variety of online audiences. Prior to joining Tropical Financial, Phillips served five years as marketing manager for another credit union in Florida’s Broward County. She started in the credit union industry in 2015 as a marketing specialist for a South Florida institution that mainly served the Broward public school system. Phillips is a member of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions, having served as vice president of the Broward Chapter and president of the Young Professionals Group. She replaces Kara Yaquinta, who was promoted to digital growth strategist and is responsible for driving new business to Tropical Financial through digital marketing programs.

Center Parc Credit Union, a division of the $2.5 billion, Atlanta-based Atlanta Postal Credit Union, hired six new member service representatives and one assistant manager in the Savannah, Ga., market.

Sharonda Brantley was hired as assistant manager for CPCU’s Savannah Walmart branch at 6000 Ogeechee Rd. She has extensive experience as a teller, a manager, and in service and sales roles at other financial institutions.

Also new to the team are Member Service Representatives Nettie Davis and Kim Davis, both of whom have previous banking experience.

Nettie Davis previously worked as a teller coordinator. Kim Davis also works with the Rape Crisis Center of the Coastal Empire in Savannah in her free time.

Alisa Cooper, Vanessa Ramos, Ashley Wilson and Saleem Albany were hired as member service representatives at CPCU’s Pooler Walmart Branch at 160 Pooler Parkway. Ramos brings over 10 years of customer service and five years of banking experience. Cooper holds an MBA and a CFC. Albany has been promoted from part- to full-time.

LEAGUES

The Louisiana Credit Union League presented the first-ever Emerging Leader Award to Marlon Owens of Ouachita Valley Federal Credit Union ($321 million, West Monroe, La.) during the League’s Annual Meeting & Convention on Aug. 6. The Emerging Leader Program recognizes the achievements of exceptional individuals who consistently integrate themselves into the industry through development, service and engagement. Owens was recognized for successfully producing the credit union’s instant messaging platform, increasing interdepartmental cross-training programs, revising loan policies to ease restrictions and having an integral role in his credit union’s Box-less Employee Think Team. Outside the industry, he has dedicated more than 15 years to volunteering with the West Ouachita Youth Sports Association. Owens was selected from seven Emerging Leader finalists from Louisiana, and received a full scholarship to CUNA’s Emerging Leader Institute.

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