15 Professionals Elevate Their Credit Union Careers

WEST

Larry Braley, vice president of wealth management for SAFE Financial Services, the wealth management and financial planning arm of SAFE Credit Union ($4.5 billion, Folsom, Calif.), received the 2022 Pete Snyder Innovation Award from Promoting Credit Union Investment & Insurance Programs (PROCU). PROCU is made up of credit union and independent managers and insurers from across the country, and Peter Snyder, the namesake of its annual award, was noted for breaking new ground in the credit union investment and insurance industry during the 1980s. Braley manages SAFE Financial Services, which serves SAFE members through the credit union’s partnership with LPL Financial, specializing in retirement planning for individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations, as well as wealth management and preservation, long-term care insurance and life insurance. He joined SAFE Financial Services in 2016 and serves on the LPL Financial Services Ambassador Council.

The $7.5 billion, Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Redwood Credit Union hired Melissa Hail as branch experience manager of its San Francisco branch. In her new role, Hail is responsible for overseeing member service, staff development and daily branch operations, as well as partnering with local businesses and community organizations. Hail brings more than 12 years of local credit union experience, having most recently served as an assistant branch manager at Golden 1 Credit Union ($18.4 billion, Sacramento).

SOUTH

Greater Texas|Aggieland Credit Union ($971 million, Austin, Texas) promoted Stephanie Stout to the executive team as vice president, member contact center. Stout joined Greater Texas in 2021. She has served in the contact center, and has played a key role in the implementation of technology to better serve members and the development of the credit union’s new core system. She is vice president of the Parents, Teachers, and Friends Board at Brentwood Christian School in Austin and serves as an ambassador for the online program of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

The $282 million, Bowling Green, Ky.-based Service One Credit Union announced two promotions.

Jonathan Turner was promoted to retail relationship and sales manager/branch manager for the Scottsville Branch in Scottsville, Ky. Turner is adding a branch manager role for the Scottsville Branch to his duties in the credit union. He has a professional background as a financial advisor and has been with Service One since July 2022. Turner also serves on the School Site-Based Decision-Making Council for Kentucky’s Allen County, is president of the Allen County Scottsville Youth Football League, and holds professional licenses in Life and Health Insurance, Series 66 and 7 Licensed, which is also known as a Licensed Stockbroker.

Amy Holthaus was promoted to assistant branch manager of the Scottsville Branch. Holthaus has experience in supporting the call center and teller lines, and is a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor. She joined Service One in August 2020.

Jessica Parrish, mortgage originator for the $2.4 billion Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union, was named Chattanooga Mortgage Banker of the Year for 2022 by the Chattanooga Mortgage Bankers Association at its Annual Awards Banquet on March 17. The award is based on a popular vote among members of the organization. Parrish began her career with TVFCU in 2015. In 2022 alone, she originated 230 mortgages.

The $1.2 billion, Birmingham, Ala.-based Avadian Credit Union announced two promotions.

DonnaMarie Tyler was promoted to SVP of deposits and retail strategy. In her new role, Tyler will be leading Avadian’s deposit and organizational development teams as well as taking on a newly-created focus in retail strategy. She joined Avadian in 2020 as director of deposits and most recently served as vice president of deposits. Prior to joining Avadian, Tyler gained more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry, rising from the role of branch manager with Bank of America to vice president of regional branch operations with BB&T.

Jeff Skipper was promoted to SVP of marketing and digital services. In his new role, Skipper will be taking leadership of Avadian’s marketing, digital services, and branch network and design efforts. He joined Avadian in 2018 and most recently served as vice president of branch and digital experience. Prior to joining Avadian, Skipper gained more than 20 years of marketing and advertising experience with Books-A-Million, Chester’s International, and as the owner and manager of Skipper Marketing Solutions.

CUSOS

Curql Collective hired Elizabeth Caven to the Curql Fund as principal. Caven is an entrepreneur and tech founder with experience in venture funding and scaling through acquisition. Most recently, she invested in and worked with startups through the accelerator ecosystem gener8tor. Caven is certified in CUNA Board Financial Literacy by CUNA and serves as a director of Wings Financial Credit Union ($8.4 billion, Apple Valley, Minn.). In addition, she served on the board for Veridian Credit Union ($6.8 billion, Waterloo, Iowa) for nearly 10 years, and sat on The Veridian Group CUSO board for over six years. She holds an MBA from IE University in Madrid, Spain.

LEAGUES

The California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues hired Stephanie Cuevas as SVP of federal government affairs, effective March 13. Cuevas brings more than 10 years of experience in community outreach and policy development, having most recently served as senior government affairs representative for the Lakewood, Calif.-based Water Replenishment District (WRD). Before joining WRD, she specialized in the federal legislative process as she worked in the House of Representatives for eight years. During her career on Capitol Hill, Cuevas served Reps. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.).

TRADES

NACUSO announced four board appointments.

Miriam Ackerman, chief strategy officer at the venture studio DNT BLNK, was newly elected as a director. Ackerman has been actively involved in developing creative products and business solutions for over 20 years. Her professional experience has spanned the spectrum from the arts and entertainment industry, to sports, health care and financial technology.

Bill Beardsley, president and chief lending officer for Michigan Business Connection, LLC, was re-elected as a director for a three-year term.

Nick Evens, president/CEO of Curql Collective, LLC, was re-elected as a director for a three-year term.

Mary Beth Spuck, president/CEO for Resource One Credit Union ($825 million, Dallas, Texas), was re-elected as a director for a three-year term.

VENDORS

Allied Payment Network, Inc., a provider of online and mobile money movement solutions to banks and credit unions, hired David French as SVP of finance. In his new role, French is responsible for leading all financial, forecasting and financial reporting activities, as well as generating meaningful insights to drive the company’s decision-making processes. French brings more than 30 years of financial, operational and administrative experience, with a focus on the software technology and biotechnology arenas. During his career, he has held a variety of executive level financial positions with companies including Payrailz, Open Solutions, Konica Minolta and Digital Equipment. At his most recent position, French served for six years at Payrailz as vice president of finance. He holds an MBA from Western New England University in Springfield, Mass.

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