Seven Credit Unions in Five States Appoint New CEOs

Jeremiah Kossen will become president/CEO of the $1.3 billion Publix Employees Federal Credit Union on March 14, the Lakeland, Fla.-based financial cooperative said Monday.

He will succeed former President/CEO Robert Bregler, who recently retired, and Karen Boccaleri, who has been serving as interim CEO. Boccaleri will resume her duties as COO, PEFCU said in a prepared statement.

Kossen has served in several executive roles in the credit union industry after getting started as a problem case officer at the NCUA. Most recently, Kossen served as president/CEO of the $637 million Town and Country Credit Union in Minot, N.D. Before that, he was COO for the $11.6 billion Lake Michigan Credit Union in Grand Rapids.

PEFCU’s 249 employees operate seven office locations that serve more than 105,000 members, NCUA Call Reports showed.

The board of directors for the $1.2 billion ELGA Credit Union in Burton, Mich., appointed Terry Katzur as president/CEO.

He succeeds former president/CEO Karen Church, who retired at the end of February after 43 years of service.

Katzur launched his career at ELGA in 1996 as a co-op student, becoming a full-time teller before working in the accounting department and then serving as a branch manager, the credit union said in a prepared statement. He also served as vice president of lending and was appointed EVP in 2014.

ELGA’s 243 employees operate 15 office locations that serve a membership of nearly 84,000, according to NCUA Call Reports.

The $603 million Johns Hopkins Federal Credit Union in Baltimore named Keith C. O’Neil Jr. as president/CEO.

He succeeds Michael Mesta.

O’Neil joins JHFCU from the $1.4 billion UVA Community Credit Union in Charlottesville, Va. where he served as COO since 2016, JHFCU said in a prepared statement. He also previously worked as the SVP of operations and technology at the $2 billion APGFCU in Edgewood, Md., and held top executive roles of IT at the $4 billion Tower Federal Credit Union in Laurel, Md., and at the $1 billion Quorum Federal Credit Union in Purchase, N.Y.

JHFCU’s 90 employees operate four office locations that serve more than 42,000 members, NCUA Call Reports showed.

Stephen Wallace will become president/CEO of the $575 million Maine State Credit Union in Augusta.

He will succeed current President/CEO Tucker Cole, who is retiring on June 1, the credit union said in a prepared statement.

Before joining MSCU in 2017 as vice president of lending, Wallace worked a consultant helping community banks and credit unions develop a customer-centric sales model.

He was promoted to SVP of retail in 2020 before becoming EVP last year. Wallace started his financial services career at Fleet Bank and worked at Camden National Bank as head of retail banking.

MSCU’s 96 employees operate three office locations that serve more than 32,000 members, according to NCUA Call Reports.

The $519 million Securityplus Federal Credit Union in Baltimore appointed Tricia Szurgot as president/CEO.

She succeeds Mike Keener Jr., the credit union’s chief information officer, who served as interim CEO since July 2021, according to a prepared statement.

Szurgot most recently served as EVP and COO for the $1 billion First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union in Allentown, Pa. Her credit union experience also included working as director of marketing and business development at the $266 million Riverfront Federal Credit Union in Wyomissing, Pa., and chief marketing and retail officer for the $179 million Discovery Federal Credit Union also based in Wyomissing, Szurgot’s LinkedIn profile showed.

Securityplus’ 81 employees operate eight office locations serving more than 33,000 members, according to NCUA Call Reports.

The $419 million Tennessee Credit Union in Nashville appointed Rafael Rondon as president/CEO.

He succeeds current President/CEO Michael Martin, who is retiring after nearly 40 years of service, the credit union said in a prepared statement.

Rondon is joining TCU in early spring from the $163 million Xplore Federal Credit Union in Metairie, La., where he is serving as president/CEO. He also served as vice president of sales and operations at the $1.1 billion Dade County Federal Credit Union in Sweetwater, Fla.

TCU’s 84 employees operate nine office locations serving more than 24,000 members, NCUA Call Reports showed.

The $115 million Trademark Federal Credit Union in Augusta, Maine named Peter St. Onge to serve as president/CEO.

He replaced former President/CEO Joann Bisson, who became EVP of the $271 million Oxford Federal Credit Union in Mexico, Maine, in January, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Before joining Trademark, St. Onge served as director of branch experience at the $336 million Infinity Federal Credit Union in Westbrook, Maine. He also served as the credit union’s lender development officer, senior lending manager and lending operations manager, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Trademark’s 24 employees operate three office locations serving more than 8,000 members, NCUA profile reports showed.