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EAST
Sue Whitehead Susan G. Whitehead, president/CEO for the $239 million, Madawaska, Maine-based NorState Federal Credit Union, announced her retirement after 34 years of service with NorState. Whitehead was first hired at the credit union as a utility clerk in 1988 and has held various positions over the years. In 2013, she was named the first female CEO of NorState following the retirement of David Rossignol.
Ardent Credit Union ($851 million, Philadelphia) hired Jenna Pensa as COO. In her new role, Pensa is responsible for the credit union's deposit operations, card services, facilities, technology infrastructure, applications and systems. Pensa most recently served as COO of Equity National Title Company in Providence, R.I. Before that, she was EVP and chief innovation officer for Chelsea Groton Bank, in Groton, Conn. She has also held leadership roles at WSFS Bank and Guilford Savings Bank, where she managed operations, technology, contact center operations and customer experience.
Jenna Pensa MIDWEST
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
