New Executives Named at Los Angeles Police FCU, Spectra CU & Corporate One FCU

WEST

The $7.6 billion, Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Redwood Credit Union announced three board re-elections.

Christina Rivera was re-elected to a three-year term. Rivera has served as an RCU volunteer official since 2014. She is a government public employee for California’s Sonoma County, currently serving as county administrator, and completed the Sonoma State University MBA program.

David Gouin was re-elected to a three-year term. Gouin has served as a volunteer official since 2008. He has over 30 years of public service with the County of Sonoma, City of Vacaville and the City of Santa Rosa, including 11 years as director of the Department of Economic Development and Housing, and Housing and Community Services, from which he retired in 2020. Gouin also serves on the Audit & Enterprise Risk Committee for RCU.

Debbie Watts was re-elected to a three-year term. Watts has been a volunteer since 1976 and held a variety of positions on the board. She is retired after more than 37 years of service from the County of Sonoma, where she served as the manager of the customer services division of the Permit and Resource Management Department. Watts also serves on the board of directors for RCU Services Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RCU.

Keisaku Yogi, SVP of marketing for the $11.1 billion, San Diego-based San Diego County Credit Union, was named among the San Diego Business Journal’s 2023 Asian Pacific Islander Leaders of Influence. The award recognizes outstanding leaders who are positively impacting their organization and the San Diego community. Yogi joined SDCCU as a marketing and media buying specialist in 2013. He was promoted to assistant marketing manager and media buying manager in 2016, to vice president, media manager in 2020 and to SVP of marketing in 2022. He has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the 2022 Viddy Awards in multiple categories; 2022 Gold DotCOMM Award for the SDCCU Blog; 2022 Gold Stevie Award – Corporate Responsibility from the American Business Awards for SDCCU Stuff the Bus; 2021 Dora Maxwell Award by CUNA for SDCCU Stuff the Bus; 2021 MarCom Gold Award for SDCCU’s Zip. Zero. Zilch. Mortgage Campaign; 2021 Hermes Creative Award for SDCCU’s Mobile Banking video; 2020 and 2018 MarCom Award for SDCCU Stuff the Bus; 2020 Marketing Association of Credit Unions awards for Don’t Feed the Bankers – Campus Commercial, which was designated the 2020 MACQUEE Winner; 2019 MarCom Award for Don’t Feed the Bankers – Campus Commercial; 2019 MAC Award for new website design and airport videos and 2018 MAC Award for SDCCU Stuff the Bus.

The $1.4 billion, Van Nuys, Calif.-based Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union hired Dave Hanighen as chief information officer, effective May 30. In his new role, Hanighen will lead the development, implementation and operation of strategic technology solutions and services for the credit union. He brings more than 20 years of financial institution and industry experience, having most recently served as chief information security officer at Logix Federal Credit Union ($9.7 billion, Valencia, Calif.). He holds multiple industry certifications including Chief Information Security Officer, Information Security Manager, Risk and Information Security Controls, Data Privacy Solutions Engineer and Certified Regulatory Vendor Program Manager. Over his career, Hanighen has received awards such as the Simplicity Bank Leadership Award, Innovative Community Banker of the Year Award and SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union Leadership Award.

EAST

The $602 million, Alexandria, Va.-based Spectra Credit Union hired Debbie Freeman as CFO. Prior to joining Spectra, Freeman worked for the $166 billion, Vienna, Va.-based Navy Federal Credit Union for 22 years, where she held various positions within finance including SVP of financial operations and CFO. She is an active Certified Public Accountant.

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union ($2.1 billion, Lowell, Mass.) appointed Socrates De La Cruz as a board member. De La Cruz is the founder and CEO of De La Cruz Law Group and De La Cruz Properties. He previously served as a trial attorney for McBride and Associates and as an assistant district attorney in Massachusetts’ Essex County. In addition, he founded Socratic Inc., a non-profit that offers motivational speaking and awards scholarships to youths in the state’s Merrimack Valley, and is a founding board member of LEADS. As a result of his involvement with the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club in Lawrence, Mass., he was honored as the National Youth of the Year in 1991, recognized at the White House by former President George H. Bush, and inducted into the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame in 2001. He also serves on numerous boards for organizations in the Merrimack Valley, including vice chair of the Lawrence Partnership, vice chair of the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council and board member for the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. In 2022, he received the Lawrence Bar Association Leadership Award. In addition, De La Cruz is an ordained minister and currently serves as the assistant pastor at the First Spanish Free Methodist Church in Lawrence. He received a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in Boston.

MIDWEST

The $5.2 billion, Columbus, Ohio-based Corporate One Federal Credit Union promoted Christine Mayes to its executive leadership team as EVP, chief member engagement officer, effective May 28. She most recently served as vice president, member success executive for Corporate One. Mayes succeeds Paul Hixon, who will retire at the end of 2023. In her new role, Mayes will drive the company mission and vision by developing and expanding relationships with credit unions, and driving engagements that add value to Corporate One’s members and prospective members. She will also be responsible for the strategic planning, execution and management of member and prospect engagement activities, including product and service sales revenue, marketing and communications, member engagement, and building relationships with credit unions and other credit union-affiliated organizations. Before joining Corporate One in 2020, Mayes worked in sales and sales management, most recently for Brink’s Inc. as a senior sales director and enterprise account director.

The $2.1 billion, Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Consumers Credit Union hired Sarah Tennenhouse as office manager for its 54th Street Office in Grand Rapids, Mich. In her new role, Tennenhouse will leverage her decade’s worth of experience in the financial and business lending industry to assist and educate Consumers’ members.

SOUTH

The $2 billion, Montgomery, Ala.-based MAX Credit Union announced three new hires and one promotion.

Drew Sullivan was hired to the leadership team as vice president of payments. Sullivan brings over 30 years of business development and product management experience to his new role. His career, which has focused on serving the needs of financial-related businesses on a national scale, has included founding a global payment consulting firm.

Will Littleton was hired as an insurance agent. In his new role, he will ensure members are adequately protected through products ranging from homeowners and auto coverage to life insurance.

Lani Hudgins was also hired as an insurance agent.

Pace Josey was promoted to vice president of marketing and growth. In his new role, Josey will develop and implement campaigns geared toward growth while continuing to monitor member needs, ensuring a seamless experience.

LEAGUES

The CrossState Credit Union Association presented two professionals from the $7.1 billion, Enola, Pa.-based Members 1st Federal Credit Union with awards during its Annual Convention on May 19 in Hershey, Pa.

Chairman of the Board of Directors Jon Kirssin received the 2023 Calvin Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteer of the Year. This award recognizes a volunteer who has selflessly given time, effort and talent to the betterment of the movement and works to promote the credit union philosophy. Kirssin joined the Members 1st board of directors in 2011 after previously serving on the credit union’s supervisory committee. He carries on the legacy of his own father, who also served on the Members 1st board of directors. Kirssin was appointed chairman in 2018, and also serves on the board of trustees for York College of Pennsylvania, his alma mater. He is an experienced insurance executive who served nearly 20 years at PMA Insurance and retired as an officer and shareholder. He currently owns and operates a specialty insurance consulting firm with clients located throughout the country.

Indirect Sales and Service Manager Deana Barnes was named one of the top three finalists in the CrossState Credit Union Association’s 2023 Credit Union Ambassador Contest. Barnes presented her project “Fostering Social Engagement for Remote and Office Workers” to a live audience and panel of judges at the convention, proposing a platform in which credit union associates can engage and connect with each other virtually, much like an internal social media site. Barnes began her career in automotive finance in 2016 and joined the credit union industry in 2018. In her current role with Members 1st, her primary focus is maintaining and cultivating strong relationships with dealership partners.

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