11 Credit Unions, CUES & Mahalo Announce Career Moves

WEST

The $7.1 billion Redwood Credit Union in Santa Rosa, Calif., promoted Erika Lane to branch experience manager of its Mill Valley branch. In her new role, Erika is responsible for community and business development, as well as overseeing member service, staff and branch operations. She joined RCU in 2012 as a senior teller and has since taken on the roles of member service representative and most recently assistant branch manager. Lane was introduced to financial services during her time as a college intern at the $423 million Cabrillo Credit Union in San Diego. She also volunteers as an ambassador at the Novato Chamber of Commerce in Novato, Calif.

The $3.3 billion, Spokane Valley, Wash.-based Numerica Credit Union hired Marci Miller as SVP of retail experience and engagement. With a focus on leading the greater Spokane and North Idaho retail team, Miller will prioritize member relationships and oversee Numerica’s growing market presence in her new role. She joins Numerica with over 30 years of experience in the financial industry, as well as expertise in business development, retail leadership and cross-functional management. Most recently, she was SVP at Columbia Bank, leading the business banking team. Miller is a board member for the Washington Vocational Services in Everett, Wash., and served as president from 2012-2015. She also served the Lake Stevens Education Foundation in Lake Stevens, Wash., as secretary and treasurer from 1996-2015.

Greater Nevada Mortgage, a subsidiary of the $1.5 billion, Carson City, Nev.-based Greater Nevada Credit Union, hired Al Crisanty as vice president of mortgage sales. Crisanty brings over 30 years of national industry experience and has held senior management roles in correspondent lending, wholesale and retail production, and secondary marketing. In his new role, he will be charged with providing a leadership framework to support Greater Nevada Mortgage’s sales team while working closely with the operational team to build a collaborative, high-trust and success-focused platform while improving the efficiency and satisfaction of the sales team and its clients.

The $2.2 billion Columbia Credit Union in Vancouver, Wash., promoted two employees and hired two others.

Julie Bocanegra and Dan Souvenir were both promoted from their positions as branch managers to the newly-created position of vice president, branches and regional manager. As a result of a restructuring, Columbia will operate with two branch regions led by Bocanegra and Souvenir as part of the credit union’s renewed emphasis on support, mentoring and member service. Bocanegra first joined Columbia as a teller in 1994, and Souvenir has been with Columbia since 2018, according to his LinkedIn page.

Jerrell Owens and Julia Brown were both hired to the vice president, branch manager team. Owens will head the credit union’s Buckman Branch in Portland, Ore., and Brown will lead the Fred Meyer store branch in Battle Ground, Wash. Owens brings over two decades of financial service experience, leadership and business development to Columbia’s growing Portland footprint, and Brown brings 21 years of credit union experience.

EAST

The $1.5 billion, Hauppauge, N.Y.-based Island Federal Credit Union hired four new executives.

Keith Miller was hired as SVP/chief lending officer. In his new role, he is responsible for determining the strategic direction of the lending area, directing the management and development of Island Federal’s loan programs, and overseeing the commercial and retail lending teams. Miller holds an MBA from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y., and has significant executive experience managing business and retail lending portfolios.

Lisa Mingoia was hired as SVP/CFO. In her new role, Mingoia oversees the accounting, finance and human resources departments. She has more than 30 years of financial management and accounting experience at New York area banks and credit unions, and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Richard Klefsky was hired as vice president, member experience. In his new role, Klefsky oversees a number of departments at Island Federal, including branch operations, member operations, the contact center, compliance, sales training and training. In addition, he champions the introduction of new digital onboarding and other innovative programs at the credit union. Klefsky brings more than 20 years of management experience.

Christopher Murray was hired to the newly-created position of vice president of marketing. In his new role, Murray oversees Island Federal’s marketing, communications, promotions and website. He joins Island Federal from Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment, where he managed athletic partnerships with several educational institutions, including Stony Brook University, where he earned a master’s of arts.

The $2.5 billion Chartway Federal Credit Union in Virginia Beach, Va., appointed two members of its associate director development program, Lara Shields and Ron da Silva, to serve on its board.

A member for more than 20 years, Shields serves as the owner/executive director of Kids Park Child Development Centers in Tooele County, Utah. In addition to being a member of Chartway’s associate director development program, Shields is a member of Chartway’s strategic planning committee.

A member for more than 40 years and an internet technology expert with more than 25 years of experience, da Silva serves as the vice president of operations for Quantum Loophole, where he leads the construction of master-planned, decarbonized cloud communities that are gigawatt scaled and environmentally progressive. He is a NACD Certified Board Governance Fellow and serves as a member of Chartway’s ALM committee.

The $987 million, Marlborough, Mass.-based St. Mary’s Credit Union hired Erick Pereira as a junior commercial lending officer. In his new role, Pereira will cultivate new relationships to generate business loans while also servicing existing commercial relationships. He comes to St. Mary’s from Berkshire Bank, where he served as assistant vice president and senior branch officer, and oversaw two branch locations. He also served as assistant branch manager at Commerce Bank, a Division of Berkshire Bank, at locations in Boston, Shrewsbury and Worcester, Mass., and previously held the role of financial service representative. Pereira serves as a board member for the Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce in Westborough, Mass.

The $730 million IDB Global Federal Credit Union in Washington, D.C. hired Carla Decker as COO effective Nov. 15. Decker brings 30 years of credit union leadership experience, including roles as president and operations manager for D.C.-area credit unions. In her new role, she will manage IDB Global’s operational teams while driving and fostering a member-centric ecosystem. Decker has served on multiple boards, including the National Cooperative Business Association and Inclusiv. Additionally, she designs and crafts curriculum for international Credit Union Development Education programs. In 2017, she earned the Joe Biden Educator of the Year Award from the International Credit Union Leadership Foundation, and she co-founded the National Association of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals. Decker holds a master’s degree in international commerce and politics.

MIDWEST

Cobalt Credit Union ($1.1 billion, Papillion, Neb.) hired Bob Doucette as chief information officer. Doucette brings more than 25 years of information technology and operations experience, the last 15 working in the financial services industry. Most recently, he served as vice president of information technology and marketing at a Kentucky-based credit union. As a member of Cobalt’s senior leadership team, Doucette will oversee management and implementation of information and computer technologies for the credit union, ensuring alignment with the organization’s strategic vision.

SOUTH

The $555 million Jax Federal Credit Union in Jacksonville, Fla., hired Karen DeSalvo as its first-ever chief experience officer, effective Oct. 11. DeSalvo previously served as chief experience officer for ValleyStar Credit Union ($575 million, Martinsville, Va.), chief marketing officer for Truliant Federal Credit Union ($3.6 billion, Winston-Salem, N.C.) and SVP of retail and digital banking for Allegacy Federal Credit Union ($1.9 billion, Winston-Salem). In her new role, she will guide executive leadership on cultivating excellence in member services, build strategic initiatives to enhance Jax’s products and services, and oversee efforts to promote sustainable growth.

DATCU ($1.4 billion, Corinth, Texas) promoted Melanie Vest from EVP and CFO to president. Vest joined DATCU in April 2002 as a part-time teller while attending the University of North Texas. In 2012, she was recognized by CU Times as a Woman to Watch. She is also a graduate of Southwest CUNA Management School. 

TRADES

CUES announced two new hires to its professional development team.

Shannon Rola was hired as content and curriculum manager after working with CUES on a contractual basis, programming CUES Execu/Summit and coordinating speaker materials for its High Performing Board Digital Series. Rola previously served as associate director in executive education at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she conducted client needs assessments and oversaw program implementation. In addition, she brings access to a strong network of instructors and professors.

Ashanti Williams, Ed.D. was hired as digital content and curriculum manager. In her new role, will apply her expertise to the development of digital courses based on best practices in instructional design. Williams brings an extensive background as a researcher and holds a master’s of education in curriculum and instruction from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, as well as a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.

VENDORS

Mahalo Technologies, Inc. in Troy, Mich., a provider of online and mobile banking solutions for credit unions, announced that President/CEO Alan Augustine will be stepping down from his leadership role at the end of 2021 for family reasons.

Replacing Augustine as the company’s CEO will be Stickley on Security Founder/CEO Jim Stickley, who has been chairman of the board and a longtime advisor of Mahalo Banking. Stickley was a co-founder of both TraceSecurity Inc. and Stickley on Security Inc., and will continue to serve as CEO of Stickley on Security Inc.

In addition, CUTEK President Ron Murray will join Mahalo’s executive team as EVP. Murray, who has worked with Stickley for more than 15 years, has also been a longtime advisor to Mahalo. Both Stickley and Murray bring more than 25 years of knowledge in the fintech space.

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