10 CU Professionals Start Summer 2023 With New Roles & Honors

WEST

First Tech Federal Credit Union ($16.9 billion, San Jose, Calif.) promoted Chylon Pappas to vice president of corporate and government engagement. Pappas has been with First Tech for over two decades, serving in several roles including vice president of marketing, vice president of membership, and senior director of corporate communications and community engagement. In her new role, she will lead the credit union’s community, advocacy and government affairs activities, building and maintaining strong, trusting relationships with key community, political and industry leaders within the communities First Tech serves. Specifically, Pappas will deepen engagement with First Tech’s Select Employer Groups, create awareness around social impact work and drive the credit union’s legislative agenda into action. She currently serves as board chair for With Love Oregon, which supports foster families and children.

EAST

The $938 million, Hunt Valley, Md.-based Point Breeze Credit Union hired Joseph (Joey) Klein as a member business lending officer. In his new role, Klein will serve as a key member of the member business banking team, specializing in business loans, advising member businesses, and helping to evaluate and process the best loan packages for Point Breeze’s business members throughout central Maryland. He brings 15 years of experience in the banking industry, including eight years as a branch manager.

Cindy Jones, youth outreach manager for the $1.3 billion, Sparks, Md.-based First Financial Federal Credit Union, was appointed president of the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). The Education Foundation of BCPS develops resources to serve the students, educators and schools throughout the Baltimore County community, specifically through fundraising, advocacy and programs. Jones previously served as a board member for the Education Foundation, chair of the Foundation’s Exchangeree Advisory Council and first vice president of the Foundation. Jones has led First Financial’s youth outreach program for over 20 years. She is responsible for overseeing and managing several resources for youth within the credit union’s field of membership, including six student-run local high school branches, Money Talks classroom presentations and an annual scholarship program.

Digital Federal Credit Union ($11.5 billion, Marlborough, Mass.), announced two promotions.

Laurie LaChapelle was promoted to CFO. LaChapelle joined DCU 12 years ago and most recently served as SVP of finance. Before joining DCU, she spent 13 years as an auditor at various audit and tax consulting firms. In her new role, LaChapelle will continue to oversee teams for accounting, capital planning, finance, procurement and support services, as well as the DCU for Kids Foundation. Additionally, she will focus on strategies for balance sheet management, capital growth and allocation, and enhancements to DCU’s budgeting process.

David DeWitt was promoted to chief risk officer. DeWitt has been with DCU for the past 17 years and has served in several senior roles within the credit union’s risk management function, most recently SVP of enterprise services. Before joining DCU, he spent 16 years as a bank examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Massachusetts Division of Banks. In his new role, DeWitt will focus on strategies to advance DCU’s risk management program further as it grows past $10 billion in assets. He will continue to lead the program, providing oversight in compliance, internal audit, fraud, BSA, legal, information security, physical safety and enterprise risk management.

MIDWEST

Kathy Glashan, mortgage loan officer for the $1.7 billion, St. Paul, Minn.-based Hiway Credit Union, was named to National Mortgage Professional Magazine’s Leading Loan Originators list. The list is part of the publication’s Top Originators, a comprehensive and verified ranking of the nation’s top-producing residential mortgage brokers, originators, loan officers and bankers. Individuals are honored for their hard work and dedication to originate mortgages for as many people as possible regardless of the loan size.

The $5.2 billion Connexus Credit Union in Wausau, Wis., hired Akin Agar to the executive leadership team as chief technology officer. In his new role, Agar will oversee all business technology areas to ensure continued delivery of Connexus’ member, employee and organizational needs in innovation, operations, data and security. He brings over 20 years of experience serving the financial services industry.

The $6.9 billion, Waterloo, Iowa-based Veridian Credit Union promoted Vila Baccam to the position of branch manager at the Veridian location at 2810 Edgewood Rd. SW in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Baccam has worked at Veridian for 14 years and previously served as an eServices loan advisor.

Royal Credit Union ($4.7 billion, Eau Claire, Wis.) promoted Carrie Diedrich to vice president of compliance and corporate risk. In her new role, Diedrich is responsible for setting Royal’s strategy for compliance and risk programs, which involves ensuring appropriate resources are allocated to its enterprise risk management, compliance management, Bank Secrecy Act, enterprise disaster recovery, business continuity management, security and vendor management programs. She is also responsible for ensuring that these programs are consistent with the size and complexity of Royal. Diedrich joined Royal in 2020 as a senior compliance-risk management specialist and was promoted to corporate risk manager in 2022. She is also a member of the Risk Committee, Vendor Review Committee and Cybersecurity Committee. In addition, Diedrich is a Certified Regulatory Vendor Program Manager and Credit Union Enterprise Risk Management Expert.

LEAGUES

The MD|DC Credit Union Association presented the Miriam Lieb Emerging Leader Award to Paul Farrell, revenue marketing specialist for the $562 million, Baltimore-based Securityplus Federal Credit Union. The award honors the legacy of credit union advocate and leader Miriam Rivera Lieb by recognizing a credit union professional, 40 or under, who demonstrates leadership and shares Lieb’s dedication to the core principles of the movement. As part of his award, Farrell will receive a professional development package sponsored by TruStage that includes executive coaching sessions, airfare and accommodations to visit the CUNA and TruStage headquarters in Madison, Wis., and lunch with their CEO and MD|DC Credit Union Association President/CEO John Bratsakis.

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