Notable Recognitions Pour In for Credit Union Professionals

WEST

The $1.4 billion, Van Nuys, Calif.-based Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union hired Julie Kim as CFO, effective April 17, 2023. In her new role, Kim is responsible for finance and administration of the credit union. She brings more than 25 years of financial institution experience, having most recently served as CFO at the $9.6 billion, Valencia, Calif.-based Logix Federal Credit Union. Kim, a Certified Public Accountant, also has extensive experience in planning and performing audits of large financial institutions.

The $3.7 billion, Spokane Valley, Wash.-based Numerica Credit Union promoted Gregory Hansen to chief credit officer. In his new role, Hansen will oversee the credit union’s lending, credit and collections functions. He has more than 35 years of experience in the financial industry and has been with Numerica since 2010, most recently serving as EVP of credit administration. Hansen is a certified chief executive through CUES.

MIDWEST

LaShanta Green, director of marketing and community relations for the $2.1 billion, Midland, Mich.-based Dow Credit Union, was recognized as an emerging marketing professional with a Rising Star award from CUNA. In her current role, Green oversees Dow’s marketing department, and leads strategic initiatives and community engagement and outreach efforts. She also creates marketing plans to increase membership and meet the credit union’s strategic goals and objectives. Green joined Dow in June 2021, bringing 15 years of experience in leading and implementing strategic plans, projects, programming and community outreach initiatives. She also helped found an aid and assistance organization, Resident Responders, in 2017 to help mitigate the impact of Hurricane Harvey’s on Houston residents. Green is 2022 graduate of Leadership Midland, serves on Midland’s Communities of Excellence advisory committee, and is a member of the CUNA Marketing and Business Development Executive Committee.

Rick Silvers, president/CEO for the $2 billion, Columbus, Ind.-based Centra Credit Union, was appointed by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to the Indiana Board for Depositories for a four-year term that began in April 2023. The Board for Depositories administers Indiana’s Public Deposit Insurance Fund (PDIF), which was created in 1937 to insure the public funds of the State of Indiana and its political subdivisions (counties, cities, towns, schools, etc.) to the extent they are not covered by federal or private deposit insurance. A credit union representative has been among its appointed board members since 2016 after the Indiana Credit Union League worked with state officials to establish the position. Silvers has more than 30 years of financial institution industry experience and has been president/CEO of Centra since 2016. He currently serves on the Indiana Credit Union League’s Governmental Affairs Committee, Columbus Regional Hospital Foundation board and United Way of Bartholomew County board, and is a past member of the CUNA Payments Committee, Southeast Indiana Red Cross board and Southeast Indiana Small Business Development Center.

Kelli Ellsworth Etchison, chief marketing officer and chief diversity officer for LAFCU ($999 million, Lansing, Mich.) was selected as a 2023 Notable Leader in Marketing by Crain’s Detroit Business. The distinction recognizes outstanding individuals in Michigan who serve in a senior-level role, make an impact through their role and continue to have the power to effect change, are role models or mentors to colleagues, demonstrate a practice of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, and are active members and/or leaders in professional or civic community organizations. Ellsworth Etchison leads LAFCU’s strategic marketing, community and public relations efforts and manages a marketing team of five professionals, as well as counsels the CEO and board of directors on key marketing strategies and initiatives. She also serves as LAFCU’s first chief diversity officer, and over the last 18 months, has expanded and communicated the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion to the LAFCU team. Ellsworth Etchison has previously been recognized for volunteerism and leadership by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce (Community Service Award), YMCA of Metropolitan Lansing (C. Colton Carr Exemplary Volunteer of the Year Service Award), Rotary Club of Lansing (Paul Harris Fellow Award), NAACP (Community Service Award), Grand Ledge Area Chamber of Commerce (ATHENA International Award) and Greater Lansing Area Club, an affiliate of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs Inc. (National Sojourner Truth Meritorious Service Award).

SOUTH

The $6 billion Tinker Federal Credit Union in Oklahoma City, Okla., hired Kate Bacon as development director for the credit union’s philanthropic entity, the TFCU Foundation. In her new role, Bacon will oversee development and fundraising efforts for the foundation. Bacon brings over 15 years of experience working with Oklahoma non-profit organizations, having most recently served as executive director for Family Builders. Her background also includes experience with marketing, forecasting revenue, logistics, and volunteer recruitment and retention. She has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Central Oklahoma.

Don Mullins, who served as COO for Texas Trust Credit Union ($2 billion, Arlington, Texas) from 1989 to 2004, was inducted into the Cornerstone League’s Hall of Fame for his 44 years of service to the credit union movement at the IMPACT conference on April 13 in Grapevine, Texas. He spent 25 years in executive positions at three credit unions, followed by nearly 20 years of supporting small credit unions in an advisory capacity through his firm, the Mullins Group. During the liquidity crunch in the early 1980s, Mullins worked with the NCUA to develop policies that gave 90% of credit unions a permanent source of backup liquidity. He also had a monumental role in developing the strategy for a collective group of credit unions to purchase Town North Bank and gain the ability to offer checking accounts and later on credit and debit cards. He also developed a first-of-its-kind associate degree program in credit union management for the Dallas County Community College District in Texas. In addition, he held leadership positions with what is now Cornerstone League and the Dallas Chapter of Credit Unions, and served as associate director of Town North Bank. Mullins, now 80, continues to serve through teaching and mentoring.

The Achieva Credit Union Foundation, the charitable arm of the $2.6 billion, Dunedin, Fla.-based Achieva Credit Union, hired Teresa Hibbard as its new director, effective April 17, 2023. In her new role, Hibbard will play a pivotal part in continuing the Foundation’s efforts to support and give back to the local community through meaningful seminars and events. Additionally, Hibbard’s new responsibilities will entail the management of inspiring Foundation events and impactful fundraising efforts, and making transformative scholarships a reality. She brings more than 20 years of professional experience in the non-profit sector, having most recently served as public relations and development director for the Salvation Army of Clearwater and Upper Pinellas County.

CUSOS

Think|Stack, a Baltimore-based managed IT services CUSO specializing in cloud and cybersecurity solutions, hired Jen Anthony as vice president, security and risk. In her new role, Anthony will lead Think|Stack’s consulting services, which include virtual chief information security officer, virtual chief information officer and cybersecurity training to improve clients’ security posture among a growing threat landscape. She will also oversee the technical teams as they identify, analyze, manage, mitigate and remediate cybersecurity risk. Anthony previously served as director of programs for The COMMIT Foundation, program manager for the Wounded Warrior Foundation and chief information officer for Lorien Health Services. She is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, for which she served most recently as director of workforce development for Air Force Cyber Command, as well as chief information security officer for the Air Force Cyber Operations Center.

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