New Year Brings New Roles for CU Professionals

EAST

Horizons, a division of Empower Federal Credit Union ($2.7 billion, Syracuse, N.Y.) hired Kevin Witmer as the financial associate advisor for Empower Investment Services LLC, offering services to members in the organization’s Southern Tier. He joined the team in November 2021 and possesses many years of experience in the field of investments and wealth management. He holds his New York State life, accident and health licenses as well as his FINRA 6/7/63/66 Registrations.

Chip Lusk, CEO of the $730 million, Washington, D.C.-based IDB Global Federal Credit Union, began serving a four-year term on the board of directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta in the member directorship seat on Jan. 1, 2022. Over Lusk’s 20-year career, he has served in executive leadership roles including CEO, COO and CFO. He holds an MBA with a concentration in accounting, as well as several industry certifications. The Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta offers community development grants, financing and banking services to help provide affordable mortgages and economic development to communities.

MIDWEST

The $4.7 billion, Neenah, Wis.-based Community First Credit Union announced 11 staff promotions.

Andy Hull was promoted to SVP/information technology. Hull joined CFCU as vice president/information technology over four years ago with a broad range of experience in the financial services and information technology industries. He previously worked in IT roles at Thrivent Financial, Strong Funds, Alta Resources, Associated Bank and Heartland Business Systems.

Mike Vedder was promoted to vice president, senior commercial lender. Vedder previously worked as a bank credit analyst in Sheboygan, Wis., for several years before joining Community First in 2007 as a senior credit analyst. He was promoted to commercial lender in 2010, to assistant vice president of business services in 2014 and to vice president, business services in 2016. Besides managing his commercial lending portfolio, he also supervises CFCU’s team of credit analysts.

Jeff Johnson, who joined Community First in 2012 as a credit analyst, was promoted to business lender. Johnson brings 16 years of prior banking experience, including 11 years as a commercial banking credit analyst and portfolio manager.

John Ryan was promoted to assistant vice president of consumer lending. He had 10 years of banking experience prior to joining Community First in 2011 as a member service representative. Ryan was subsequently promoted to assistant branch manager, branch manager and regional assistant vice president of branch operations.

Cyndy Zabroski was promoted to regional assistant vice president of branch operations. Zabroski joined Community First in 2019 as a branch manager. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing several of CFCU’s 26 branch locations, working directly with branch managers and their teams. She had 19 years of prior experience with the $1 billion Great Lakes Credit Union based in Bannockburn, Ill.

Aishling Willenkamp was promoted to teller operations manager. Willenkamp has been with Community First since 2014, most recently as a branch manager in Greenville, Wis. In her new role, she will be responsible for helping create a consistent experience for tellers and members, as well as managing and scheduling travel team tellers.

Nicole Schmidt, who joined CFCU in 2016, was promoted to branch manager at the Industrial Drive branch in Neenah. She had been assistant branch manager at Industrial.

Angie Klipp, who joined CFCU in 2008, was promoted to branch manager at the Richmond Street branch in Appleton, Wis. She started as a vault teller and was subsequently promoted to assistant head teller, head teller and most recently assistant branch manager.

Laura Borree, who joined CFCU in 2013, was named branch manager in Greenville. She had been branch manager at Neenah Industrial.

Roberta Mueller, who joined CFCU in 2015, was named branch manager at the Dresang Way branch at the Home Office. She had been branch manager at the Nichols, Wis., branch.

Tracy Baeten, who joined CFCU in 2016, was promoted to branch manager at the Nichols branch. She started as a member service representative and has been assistant branch manager since 2018.

Advia Credit Union ($2.6 billion, Parchment, Mich.) announced one new hire and one promotion.

Nathan Senter was hired as manager of organizational development and will be based in Southgate, Mich. In his new role, Senter will support Advia’s already well-established team by creating and honing internal communication and culture initiatives. He previously served as head coach and consultant with Kin Movement Inc. in Ann Arbor, Mich., and has worked in a servant leadership role for the majority of his career in Nashville, Chicago and Los Angeles. He holds a master’s in psychology, with an emphasis in organizational leadership, from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Sarah Kennedy was promoted to assistant branch service manager and will be based in Brownstown, Mich. In her new role, Kennedy will support daily operations and assist with customer service at the Brownstown branch. She joined Advia in 2020 as a teller, where she focused on tracking teller referrals and branch goals.

The $5.6 billion, Waterloo, Iowa-based Veridian Credit Union promoted Kristin Kuennen to senior project manager. Kuennen has worked at Veridian for 17 years and was previously the digital marketing strategist.

After 25 years of volunteer service, including as chair from 2004-2006, Thomas Young, president/CEO of the $2.1 billion Capital Credit Union in Green Bay, Wis., retired from the board of directors for the $3.2 billion, Muskego, Wis.-based Corporate Central Credit Union.

Chris Allen, president/CEO of Fox Communities Credit Union ($2.4 billion, Appleton, Wis.). was appointed to fill the vacant position. Allen began his career at Fox Communities in 2013 as vice president of business services and subsequently became the chief lending officer. In 2020, Allen took over as CEO, succeeding 40-year credit union veteran Greg Hilbert. He holds an MBA from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis.

SOUTH

At the $5.7 billion Tinker Federal Credit Union in Oklahoma City, Okla., one executive moved into a new position while another retired.

Miranda Green was named SVP of commercial services. In her new role, Green will provide member service and offer commercial products including loans, treasury services and business accounts through Tinker Federal Credit Union Prime Business Solutions. She has worked in a variety of finance positions over 26 years, including customer service, operations and lending roles. For 11 of those years, Green worked alongside the chief commercial lender at Prime Bank, acquired by TFCU in 2020, to provide commercial and business services.

SVP of Marketing Matt Stratton announced his retirement effective this month after 31 years at TFCU. During his tenure, he steered TFCU and the credit union community in Oklahoma City through the specialized communication needs of pandemics, recessions and most notably two man-made and natural disasters: The bombing of the Murrah Federal Building and a 2013 tornado that destroyed a TFCU branch. In addition to marketing, Stratton served as TFCU’s point person on issues related to governmental affairs and policy. He was a founding member of the CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council and served on its executive committee, and was also a founding member of the Oklahoma Credit Union Marketing Association. Stratton also served on a variety of other committees and task forces, and was named the CUES Marketer of the Year in 1996 and NAFCU Credit Union Professional of the Year in 2009.

The $3.6 billion Truliant Credit Union in Winston Salem, N.C., promoted Lis Mulcahy to director of member satisfaction. Previously, Mulcahy was Truliant’s director of Member Financial Centers, Central Region. In her new role, she will oversee the Member Satisfaction group, which collects, interprets and disseminates member-survey responses, as well as work with internal departments to develop and prioritize initiatives that take action on the member feedback. She has worked in financial services for 16 years and joined Truliant in 2018 as digital channel manager. Before that, Mulcahy led retail branch administration for Newburyport Bank.

Jax Federal Credit Union ($555 million, Jacksonville, Fla.) hired Charlie Saman as vice president of business services effective Nov. 15, 2021. Saman has served in executive leadership positions in the business sector for over 18 years, most recently as vice president, commercial relationship manager of PNC Bank. Previously, he served as vice president, business banking officer of BBVA as well as vice president, small business banker division for Bank of America in Jacksonville. In his new role, Saman will develop the strategic vision and manage the business banking platform, utilizing data analytics combined with environmental conditions and trends to best position Jax within the marketplace.

Ascend Federal Credit Union ($3.5 billion, Tullahoma, Tenn.) promoted Mary Pollard to vice president of consumer lending. In her new role, Pollard is responsible for helping oversee Ascend’s consumer lending operations, driving loan growth and enhancing member experience. She brings more than 20 years of consumer lending experience and joined Ascend in 2017 as associate vice president of consumer lending. Before that, she was vice president of lending for the $988 million Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union in Pensacola, Fla.

The $847 million, Houston-based First Service Credit Union hired Steve Gilman as director of political advocacy and community relations. He is a 45-year veteran of the financial services industry and was most recently president/CEO of the $329 million Houston Texas Fire Fighters Federal Credit Union. Gilman is also a member of the Texas Credit Union Commission and CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Committee. He has also served as chairman of the Houston Chapter of Credit Unions and Cinco Ranch Rotary Club in Katy, Texas.

LEAGUES

Kentucky Credit Union League President Debbie Painter was elected to CUNA’s board of directors. Painter was nominated as a candidate for CUNA’s Class D, representing leagues. She joins the board for the first time.

VENDORS

The Farmington Hills, Mich.-based core processing and IT CUSO Member Driven Technologies promoted Jennifer Lee to vice president of software and data services. In her new role, she will direct and oversee the software services, application support and data analytics departments. In addition, she will be responsible for the overall planning, execution and success of major corporate objectives. Lee has been with MDT for nearly 13 years. She first joined the organization as a client service analyst and then served in various other positions, including programmer, systems analyst, programming support manager and senior manager of software services. Prior to working for MDT, Lee worked for two credit unions: Education First Credit Union (now the $2.6 billion, Parchment, Mich.-based Advia Credit Union) and the $6.9 billion Lincoln Park Community Credit Union in Lincoln Park, Mich.

The San Diego-based core processor Corelation promoted Rob Landis to president. He previously served as COO. Landis took over the responsibilities of the president role from Theresa Benavidez, who will retain her title as CEO and continue to play a strategic role in the organization. Landis assumes control of the company’s day-to-day operations. The company will name a new COO shortly. This move, part of the company’s larger succession plan, has been in the works for several years.

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