Credit Unions in the West & East Welcome New Talent

WEST

The $4.8 billion, Richland, Wash.-based Gesa Credit Union promoted Keven Gray to EVP of member fulfillment. Gray brings more than 25 years of experience to his new role, in which he will oversee and provide strategic direction to Gesa’s retail branch operations and virtual branch division. Prior to joining Gesa earlier this year, Gray held executive level roles at Rabobank, Golden 1 Credit Union ($18.1 billion, Sacramento), World Savings and Wachovia.

Bay Federal Credit Union ($1.5 billion, Capitola, Calif.) appointed three new members to its all-volunteer board of directors and three new members to its supervisory committee.

Keisha Browder, CEO of United Way of Santa Cruz County, joined the board of directors. Browder brings over 20 years’ experience in community development, education, youth success and philanthropy throughout the U.S., and is a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders. She also serves on the following boards: The United Way Worldwide Equity Advisory Council, Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce, Santa Cruz County Health Improvement Partnership, Digital NEST Advisory, Dignity Health Dominican Hospital Community Advisory and Nonprofit Connection of Santa Cruz County.

Brett Karleen, director of soccer operations for the San Jose Earthquakes, joined the board of directors. Karleen has a background in business management and previously managed a well-known restaurant in Santa Cruz, Calif., Café Cruz, before moving to Los Angeles where he continued in restaurant management and dabbled in the movie/television industry.

ileana Ortega Brunetti, development and community outreach director for Santa Cruz Community Ventures, joined the board of directors. Her professional work experience has focused in the nonprofit sector, where she contributed to local efforts in environmental conservation, education and economic justice. Brunetti holds dual master’s degrees in international environmental policy and international business administration with a concentration in finance and sustainable development from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Calif.

Guillermo Cervantes, president of Mpresa Capital Partners, Inc., joined the supervisory committee as an associate member. Cervantes started his first company almost 20 years ago, which is now a well-known Bay Area construction material company. He launched his investment company in 2013.

Shawfeng Dong, science IT consultant for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, joined the supervisory committee as an associate member. He earned a doctorate of philosophy in astronomy and astrophysics from UC Santa Cruz in 2003, and successfully passed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst exams in 2005. Dong is also on the board of directors for Pacific Collegiate School in Santa Cruz.

Alex Wright, senior manager of technical accounting and reporting for a Silicon Valley start-up, joined the supervisory committee as an associate member. He earned a certificate of advanced accounting proficiency from Santa Clara University and began his career in public accounting at Deloitte. Wright also served companies ranging from venture capital-backed growth enterprises to global public companies, primarily in the technology, media and telecommunications industry.

The $1.3 billion, Las Vegas-based One Nevada Credit Union promoted Julianna Holmes to vice president of financial operations. In her new role, Holmes oversees the accounting, budgeting, forecasting, electronic funds transfers and administrative services-related functions within the financial operations department. She also assists the CFO in balance sheet and investment management, as well as control functions within the credit union. Holmes joined One Nevada in 2013 as the assistant vice president, assistant controller, and was promoted to controller in 2017. Holmes earned a master’s of science in accounting from the Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Naperville, Ill. She also holds a Certified Management Accountant designation.

EAST

The $987 million St. Mary’s Credit Union in Marlborough, Mass., announced four promotions.

Jim Petkewich, a 38-year veteran of banking and financial services management, was promoted to EVP and COO. He previously served as EVP, retail services, where he was responsible for the credit union’s retail branches, member solutions center and facilities department. In his new role, he adds deposit services, compliance and marketing to his areas of responsibility. Petkewich serves on the finance committee of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce, and since 2014, has coached the Special Olympics Massachusetts Nashoba Shooting Stars Ski Team.

John Hendrikse was promoted to SVP and senior lending officer, a role in which he will add credit, mortgage lending and loan operations to his areas of responsibility. A member of the senior management team, Hendrikse most recently served as SVP of lending, where he was responsible for consumer direct and indirect lending, and collections. Hendrikse joined the credit union in 2010 as assistant vice president of indirect lending.

Christine Monteiro was promoted to SVP, retail and joins the senior management team. She previously served as SVP, branch administrator. In her new role, she will oversee strategy development and implementation for the credit union’s branch locations. Monteiro joined St. Mary’s in 2004, serving as branch manager for the Hudson, Mass., location. For the past two years, Monteiro served as a regional manager overseeing the branches in Hudson, Northborough, and Westborough, Mass.. She serves as a board member of the Assabet Valley Chamber of Commerce in Hudson.

Sarah Day was promoted to SVP and commercial loan officer and joins the senior management team. In her new role, she will be responsible for all aspects of commercial lending. Day joined the credit union in 2005, first serving as marketing manager and then on the commercial lending team, where she specialized in commercial mortgages, vehicle and equipment lending, and commercial lines of credit. She earned an MBA from Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., as well as a Stonier Graduate Degree and Leadership Certificate from The Wharton School in Philadelphia. Recognized by the Worcester Business Journal with a 40 Under Forty Award in 2013, Day serves in a variety of roles at Rachel’s Table, a Jewish Federation of Massachusetts food bank, as a member of the executive committee, chair of the marketing committee and a member of the finance committee.

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