UCU in Los Angeles & Financial Center First CU Hire, Promote

WEST

University Credit Union ($1.1 billion, Los Angeles) announced two new hires and six promotions.

Megan Eisenhard was hired as chief growth officer. Eisenhard brings over 21 years of experience in higher education and collegiate athletics, having most recently served as SVP for LEARFIELD. In her new role, she will be leading the launch of a new division, the Growth Team, dedicated to continuing the success and growth of UCU’s relationships with partner schools.

Kalyana Sundaram was hired as chief information officer. Sundaram brings over 25 years of executive leadership experience in the high-tech and financial industries, including expertise in driving digital transformation, enhancing cybersecurity and leveraging advanced analytics to optimize operational efficiency.

Steve Sercu will transition to the role of SVP, chief of staff. Sercu most recently served as chief technology officer for UCU, and according to his LinkedIn page, has worked at the credit union since 1982.

Diana Meyer was promoted to SVP, chief risk officer. According to her LinkedIn page, Meyer joined UCU in 2020 and most recently served as vice president, payments and risk management.

Mildred Hendricks was promoted to SVP, chief accounting officer. Hendricks has been with UCU since 2018, according to her LinkedIn page.

Patrick Aragon was promoted to vice president of IT, software and service.

Grace Roberto was promoted to vice president of digital strategy and innovation. According to her LinkedIn page, Roberto joined UCU in April 2021 as assistant vice president of digital services.

Jennifer Weber was promoted to vice president of projects, methods and procedures. According to her LinkedIn page, Weber joined UCU in August 2022.

MIDWEST

The $849 million, Indianapolis-based Financial Center First Credit Union announced five promotions and one new hire.

Carol Kinser was promoted to vice president of marketing operations. Kinser has been with the credit union for 31 years and most recently held the position of assistant vice president of marketing operations. In her new role, she will continue to oversee all marketing and communication functions of the organization with the goals of driving core membership growth, increasing share of wallet and fostering deeper levels of member engagement.

Chris Lambert was promoted to vice president of facilities. Lambert has been with the credit union for 22 years, most recently serving as assistant vice president of facilities. In his new role, he will oversee the facilities and logistics department, new construction and renovations, ATMs, physical security and retail banking equipment. Additionally, Lambert will be responsible for developing retail branch and Interactive Teller Machine (ITM) strategies. Lambert holds the Certified Credit Union Executive designation and is a former member of the board of directors of the Indianapolis Chapter of the International Facilities Management Association.

Olivia Garman was promoted to vice president of internal operations. With nearly 15 years of experience at the credit union, Garman has progressed from a teller position to her most recent role as assistant vice president of internal operations. In her new role, she will oversee project management, process improvement, card services and internal operations, leading the credit union’s strategic projects and defining its process improvement strategic plan. Garman was a founding member of the 3E Young Professionals Council and graduated from the Indiana Credit Union League’s IGNITE program.

Joe Perrin was promoted to vice president and director of commercial lending. Perrin joined the credit union in 2015 and most recently held the role of manager of commercial lending. In his new role, he will oversee all commercial lending business and be part of the senior management team. Perrin holds more than 38 years of experience in commercial lending, previously working in the commercial leasing industry and directing Small Business Administration lending for two banks.

James Norton was promoted to vice president of strategic development. With nearly five years at Financial Center and more than 18 years of experience in information technology and development in the financial industry, Norton previously served as the credit union’s assistant vice president of application development. In his new role, he will partner closely with the development and core services teams, bringing their expertise together to expand automations, integrations, user interface (UI) features, reporting and analytics.

Todd Anderson was hired as vice president of lending. In his new role, Anderson will lead all lending and underwriting functions of the organization, and focus on product enhancements and optimizations. He has held leadership roles in both financial technology organizations and credit unions, including his previous position as the vice president of lending for Lending Arts and American Assurance Corporation. Before that, he spent eight years at Premier Members Credit Union ($1.7 billion, Boulder, Colo.) as assistant vice president of portfolio management, indirect lending and commercial lending. Anderson holds a masters in finance from Colorado State University, graduated from the CUES Business Lending School and serves on the Fintech Mastermind Group at CU 2.0.

Royal Credit Union ($4.7 billion, Eau Claire, Wis.) promoted Mitchell Anderson to branch manager of the Hugo office in Hugo, Minn. In his new role, Anderson is responsible for overseeing branch operations of the Hugo office while ensuring growth and operational efficiencies. Anderson joined Royal in 2019 and most recently held the title of branch supervisor of the Stillwater and St. Paul, Minn., offices. He recently completed CUNA’s Financial Counseling Certification Program.

SOUTH

The $969 million, Austin, Texas-based Greater Texas Credit Union hired Steven Rodriguez as branch manager of its Bastrop, Texas branch. Rodriguez brings 20 years of experience in financial services, having served at both credit unions and banks. In his new role, he will focus on growing member relationships and product usage, and ensuring the branch delivers a top-tier experience for members. He is also charged with managing, training and developing branch staff, as well as serving and supporting civic and charitable organizations in the Bastrop community. Rodriguez, who is bilingual, previously served as an entrepreneur, managing his own small business for nearly 10 years. Prior to that, he held leadership positions at TruWest Credit Union ($1.5 billion, Tempe, Ariz.), BBVA, Regions Financial Corp. and JP Morgan Chase.

CUSOS

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based technology CUSO CU*Answers announced two board elections at its 2023 Annual Stockholders meeting held on June 21.

Vickie Schmitzer, CEO of Frankenmuth Credit Union ($1.2 billion, Frankenmuth, Mich.), an incumbent, was elected to a three-year term on the CUSO’s board of directors beginning this October.

Dean Wilson, CEO of FOCUS Credit Union ($57.9 million, Wauwatosa, Wis.), an incumbent, was elected to a three-year term on the CUSO’s board of directors beginning this October.

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