12 CUs Spotlight Professionals for New Roles & Local Honors

WEST

Columbia Credit Union ($2.2 billion, Vancouver, Wash.) hired Sharif Burdzik as a small business lending officer. In his new role, Burdzik will spearhead the credit union’s small business outreach and support in the greater Vancouver and Portland, Ore., metro areas. He brings a decade of experience working at banks with nationwide footprints. Burdzik has served on the boards of many local organizations, including the Clark College Veterans Advisory Board, Leadership Clark County, the Hazel Dell Salmon Creek Business Association, Cascadia Technical Academy Foundation, the New Day Community Dental Clinic, the Fourth Plain Business Coalition and the Salvation Army Advisory Board. Burdzik also currently serves on the Washington State University Diversity Advisory Board and is a director for Partners in Careers, the Clark College Foundation and the Watershed Alliance. He has also served the City of Vancouver on both the Fire Service Delivery Committee and Police Department Community Task Force, and currently serves on the annual evaluation committees for the City’s CDBG, HOME and Affordable Housing Fund grant programs.

Colorado Credit Union ($308 million, Littleton) hired Scott Sager as CFO. Sager brings a decade of industry experience, having most recently served as COO at the $359 million Trona Valley Community Federal Credit Union in Green River, Wyo. In his new role, Sager will oversee the accounting, finance and investment functions for the credit union, as well as financial forecasting and reporting. He has served as chairman of the Wyoming Young Credit Union Professionals and a graduate assistant at Western CUNA Management School. In addition, Sager is a Certified Public Accountant, and a graduate of the Mountain West Credit Union Association Executive Leadership program and Western CUNA Management School. In 2017, he was named to the Mountain West Credit Union Association’s Top 20 Under 40 class.

The $3.4 billion Albuquerque, N.M.-based Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union promoted Barbara “BJ” Jones to the newly-created position of chief diversity and impact officer. She had a previous career in human resources, organizational development and project management with Sandia National Laboratories, and came out of retirement in 2014 to join SLFCU as SVP of organizational effectiveness. In her new role, Jones will focus on building a strong, inclusive culture of respect, not only among credit union teams, but also among SLFCU’s members, vendors, partners and the communities it serves. She holds an MBA from Stanford University.

The $931 million, Modesto, Calif.-based Valley First Credit Union hired Jane Lunn as director of talent development. Lunn brings more than 20 years of industry experience, having served in the financial institution space since 2002, primarily in the HR and training functions. She most recently served as assistant vice president, human resources and training manager for the $682 million, Livermore, Calif.-based UNCLE Credit Union. Before that, she developed leadership and intern programs, facilitated advanced level topics and was responsible for the design of training materials, job aids and coordination of resources and logistics for US Bank. In her new role, she will lead the training department at Valley First, working to strengthen its current training processes and provide advancements in how it conducts its new and existing employee training programs. Lunn holds multiple certifications related to HR and training.

EAST

Milagros (Millie) Zayas, vice president of retail branches for the $1 billion, Waltham, Mass.-based RTN Federal Credit Union, received the Professional of the Year Award as part of the Cooperative Credit Union Association’s 2022 Awards of Excellence. The award winners were recognized at the awards luncheon on Oct. 13 during the CCUA’s APEX event, which took place at the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino in Uncasville, Conn. During her 41 years of service at RTN, Millie has reimagined RTN’s branch network, mentored dozens of co-workers, established the business development department and helped scores of members become homeowners.

The $6.4 billion, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based Hudson Valley Credit Union announced three promotions within its consumer lending team.

Alice Rae Kurman-Kostrubal was promoted to assistant vice president of consumer lending. Kurman-Kostrubal began her career at HVCU in 2011 as the manager of the Beacon Branch in Beacon, N.Y. She most recently served as assistant vice president of regional branch management, overseeing six of the credit union’s branches. Kurman-Kostrubal is a recent graduate of The Chamber Foundation’s Executive Leadership Program and serves as trustee at the Walden United Methodist Church.

Andria Colon was promoted to consumer loan servicing and processing manager. Colon was hired as an HVCU financial services representative in 2002, and over the years held positions in the contact center, collections and branch management, most recently serving as manager of the Hollowbrook Branch in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. She serves as a member of the resource development committee for County Players Theatre in Wappingers Falls.

Anna Croce was promoted to consumer loan underwriting manager. Starting as a teller at the Newburgh Branch in Newburgh, N.Y., in 2005, Croce was later promoted to various branch management roles and most recently served as manager of the Newburgh Branch. She serves as president of the Plattekill PTA board in Plattekill, N.Y.

MIDWEST

The $3.8 billion First Community Credit Union in Chesterfield, Mo., announced three promotions.

Julie Carmody was promoted to vice president of human resources. In her new role, she will be responsible for organizational development, staffing, employment law, performance management, compensation and benefits. Carmody has been with First Community for 18 years, where she has held management roles in both branch operations and human resources.

Bill Vangels was promoted to assistant vice president of facilities. In his new role, he will oversee new branch construction, supply procurement and maintenance of over 40 branch facilities. Vangels has over 20 years of construction and maintenance experience, and has been with First Community for one year.

Tanya Kirkikis was promoted to assistant vice president of human resources and training. In her new role, she will be responsible for building a collaborative group of talented people who can assess new and ongoing challenges. She will also be responsible for the training of new employees and developmental training of existing employees. Tanya has over 25 years of experience in training and human resources, and has been with First Community for four years.

SOUTH

The $977 million, Austin-based Greater Texas Credit Union announced one promotion and two new hires.

Tina Muth was promoted to a newly-created assistant vice president role overseeing the growth of branches operating under the Aggieland Credit Union subsidiary of Greater Texas. Muth has been with the credit union for 29 years, having held a variety of managerial positions and making a significant impact on the credit union’s development in the Bryan-College Station, Texas market.

Lole Nuñez was hired into a newly-created market development role supporting branches in Austin, Kyle, San Marcos and Bastrop, Texas. Nuñez brings more than 20 years of experience managing branch operations for both credit unions and banks, focusing on all consumer-oriented services, as well as coaching and developing branch associates.

Cynthia Olivares was hired into a newly-created operations role based in San Antonio, Texas. In her new role, she will oversee the operations of branches in Edinburg, San Antonio, Arlington, Dallas and Houston, Texas. Olivares brings 17 years of experience in consumer financial services.

The $1.9 billion, Montgomery, Ala.-based MAX Credit Union hired Keith Branch to lead MAX Insurance Services. Branch brings over 26 years of insurance industry experience, as well as a training background. He previously served as an elected official for the NC Johnston County Board of Commissioners, member of the Clayton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and elected official of the Johnston County Board of Education. In addition, Branch serves as an advocacy subcommittee member for the American Heart Association of Alabama.

Cindy Flanigan, EVP and chief people officer for Tinker Federal Credit Union ($5.9 billion, Oklahoma City, Okla.), was named as an honoree for The Journal Record’s “50 Women Making a Difference” at an awards ceremony held on Oct. 20. The Journal Record describes the 2022 honorees as a litany of extraordinary women whose accomplishments are a credit to the Sooner State. Flanigan was named to TFCU’s chief people officer role earlier this year, in which she oversees the credit union’s human resources and professional development departments, working to provide training programs and growth opportunities for credit union employees. She is responsible for ensuring TFCU hires and retains employees who will contribute to its people-focused mission of helping members achieve their goals and realize their dreams, and uses her role to advocate for employees’ career development, educational opportunities and ensuring a friendly, positive and professional working environment. Flanigan is a Society of Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional and Certified Financial Marketing Professional.

The $1 billion, Dallas-based Neighborhood Credit Union promoted Kenny Cooper to SVP of lending. He previously served as vice president of lending. In his new role, Cooper will direct and oversee all aspects of lending activity for the credit union to ensure effective and efficient operations, quality of member service, and compliance with existing regulations and policies. Cooper started his career in the banking industry during college and transitioned to the credit union space when he began working at Resource One Credit Union ($802 million, Dallas), where he worked his way up to vice president of lending and collections by the end of his 13-year tenure there. He then joined City Credit Union ($618 million, Dallas) working as the director of lending and sales until joining Neighborhood in 2013 as a lending manager. Cooper attended Southwest CUNA Management School and is a member of the Dallas Credit Unions board.

Tracy Ingram, chief digital and infrastructure officer for the $2.6 billion, Dunedin, Fla.-based Achieva Credit Union, was named as an honoree at the 2022 Tampa Bay Business Journal CIO of the Year awards on Aug. 25 in Tampa, Fla. Ingram has spent more than 21 years at Achieva. Prior to her current role, she served as vice president of digital experience/chief enterprise applications officer, vice president of technology and network administrator. She holds an MBA from Saint Leo University in St. Leo, Fla., and a certificate in project management from Villanova University in Villanova, Pa., and is a Certified Systems Engineer from Microsoft. In addition, she is an advisory board member for Countryside High School STEM.

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