10 CUs & National Credit Union Foundation Announce Career Moves

WEST

The $3.4 billion, Eugene, Ore.-based Oregon Community Credit Union (OCCU) announced two promotions.

Ethan Nelson was promoted to SVP of credit administration. In his new role, he will oversee OCCU’s credit policy and administrative functions, including underwriting, credit services, mortgage and home-equity lending, and business credit analysis. He also will oversee loan portfolio management. Nelson has been with OCCU for 24 years and holds expertise in underwriting, collections, and mortgage and home-equity lending. He also chairs the CUNA Lending Council Executive Committee.

Matthew Wilson was promoted to SVP of risk and administration. In his new role, he will oversee the management, development and administration of fraud and loss prevention, information security, facilities, risk and administration, and project management programs. He and his teams will lead the organization in developing architecture, software and programs to ensure the safety of networks and member data and administer applicable risk management policies, protocols and controls to ensure facility readiness. These teams will also lead investigations, business continuity management, and vendor management and procurement initiatives. Wilson has been with OCCU for nearly 10 years. He is a graduate of Western CUNA Management School at Pomona College and is certified as a credit union compliance expert. Wilson serves on the board of directors of Evergreen Armored Transport and is active with PSCU’s Risk Advisory Group. He has decades of previous experience with Fortune 500 companies in fraud, business continuity/disaster recovery, physical security, executive protection, regulatory compliance and workplace violence.

The $3.6 billion, Albuquerque, N.M.-based Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union hired Anna-Marie Cimarra as manager of its Downtown Livermore Branch. Cimarra brings 14 years of financial experience, having previously served as an assistant branch manager with a San Francisco Bay Area bank, assistant manager for a California credit union with branches in Castro Valley, Fremont and Pleasanton, and lead teller positions for a community bank and a large national bank. She holds a certification as a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor from TruStage. In her new role, she is responsible for the administration and daily operations of the branch, including member service, employee management and development, risk management, business development and facility management. Cimarra will also be expanding SLFCU’s involvement in the Tri-Valley community and strengthening relationships with the credit union’s new and existing employer partner groups.

The $1.3 billion, Beaverton, Ore.-based Rivermark Community Credit Union hired Jeremy Calva as CFO. In his new role, Calva will oversee Rivermark’s finance, accounting, risk and internal audit areas. He brings over 20 years of financial service experience, having most recently served as SVP for City National Bank, where he oversaw compliance issue management, third-party risk management, budgeting, planning, reporting and administration. He has also held positions with America’s Christian Credit Union ($611 million, Glendora, Calif.) and Xceed Financial Credit Union (now the $6.7 billion, Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based Kinecta Federal Credit Union). Calva has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant since 1999, and during the Great Recession, he established recovery models that were utilized to recover losses in residential mortgage-backed securities from capital market participants that were sold in breach of contractual obligations. He is a graduate of Western CUNA Management School and has held numerous leadership positions for non-profit organizations, including South Pasadena Education Foundation, YoungLife and Christian Assembly.

The $2.1 billion Horizon Credit Union in Spokane Valley, Wash., hired Jake Patterson as director of marketing. Patterson previously spent more than 11 years in marketing at Northern Quest Resort & Casino. In his new role, he will be focused on leading a highly versatile and cross-functional team charged with nurturing the Horizon brand, serving members and contributing to the unique communities around Horizon.

EAST

The $467 million, Deptford, N.J.-based First Harvest Federal Credit Union announced three new hires.

Robyn Oresto was hired as EVP and chief financial and compliance officer. In her new role, she will oversee finance, accounting, asset recovery/collections and compliance. Oresto spent 15 years as CFO for the $180 million Aspire Federal Credit Union in Clark, N.J. She also served as controller at the $3.9 billion Municipal Credit Union in New York, N.Y., for three years, and was part of the management team that assumed control of the credit union after it was in NCUA receivership. Oresto holds an MBA from Georgian Court University in Lakewood, N.J.

Fawn Martin was hired as SVP, strategy and project management. In her new role, she will oversee strategic planning, marketing, administration and vendor management. Martin held progressive project management leadership roles at the $4.6 billion, Philadelphia-based American Heritage Credit Union and $5.6 billion, Exton, Pa.-based Citadel Credit Union prior to joining First Harvest. At American Heritage, she built out the credit union’s Strategic Steering Committee, instituted its Project Management Department and process, and was also a founding member of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. At Citadel, she served as a project manager for its major core conversion project. Martin holds an MBA from University of Phoenix, a Project Management Certification from Villanova University and is a certified Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute.

Suphaphone (Susie) Sounkongsee was hired as vice president of marketing. In her new role, she will oversee brand, advertising, public relations, media relations, social media and the credit union’s website, as well as internal communications. Sounkongsee spent more than 12 years as marketing director at the $80 million Viriva Community Credit Union in Warminster, Pa., and subsequently as marketing supervisor at American Heritage.

Ronald Baron, president/CEO for the $650 million Del-One Federal Credit Union in Dover, Del., was nominated to be on the ballot for the 2023 Delaware Member Director Election for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh. FHLBank Pittsburgh is one of 11 regional banks that comprise the FHLBank System.

MIDWEST

Timothy Benecke, president/CEO for the $1 billion, Saginaw, Mich.-based Wildfire Credit Union, announced he will retire in the first half of 2024. Benecke joined Wildfire 15 years ago as president/CEO. He previously served as CEO of FinancialEdge Community Credit Union ($124 million, Bay City, Mich.) and vice president of Dow Credit Union ($2.1 billion, Midland, Mich.). Benecke also served on the Michigan Credit Union League board of directors for 15 years.

The $827 million, Indianapolis-based Financial Center First Credit Union hired Ryan Cook as CFO. Cook brings more than 15 years of experience in the financial sector, having begun his career at Home Bank, where he served for nine years as vice president and controller. He then moved on to Mutual Savings Bank, where he served as SVP/CFO for six years. He holds expertise in accounting, financial strategy and leadership. Cook is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wis., and holds a degree from the Kelley School of Business at IU Indianapolis.

LAFCU ($1 billion, Lansing, Mich.) promoted Leslie Rorie to CFO, the first-ever African American to hold the role. Rorie joined LAFCU more than a year ago as controller and became interim CFO in February 2023. In her new role, she will lead LAFCU’s finance, asset, liability and investment strategies, and serve as a business advisor to the CEO and broader leadership team. Rorie has over two decades of experience in the credit union industry, having previously served as the assistant vice president of a credit union in Livonia, Mich., where she oversaw the loss prevention department. She was also a controller for eight years at a credit union in Southfield, Mich., and has worked as an accountant, auditor, accounting manager and branch manager. She is a long-standing member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she has served in various roles, including finance committee chair and treasurer of the Service Builders Foundation.

SOUTH

James Heffner, commercial loan officer for SRP Federal Credit Union ($1.6 billion, North Augusta, Ga.) was recognized by WJBF-TV in Augusta, Ga., as September’s winner of the Mary L. Jones Black Affirmation Award, a part of the local news station’s Celebrating Black Excellence 365 program. WJBF-TV’s Black Excellence 365 program honors the contribution, kindness, innovation and selflessness of Black individuals in the Central Savannah River Area. Heffner currently serves on seven boards, including the Burn Foundation of America in Augusta, which nominated him for this award; Golden Harvest Food Bank; Augusta Technical College and Walton Options for Independent Living.

TRADES

The National Credit Union Foundation promoted Tobi Weingart to chief program officer. Weingart joined the Foundation in 2021 as education program manager. Prior to her work with the Foundation, she served the credit union system for 11 years – for CUNA as a senior manager of the Creating Member Loyalty program as well as manager for organizational development with Educators Credit Union ($3.1 billion, Mount Pleasant, Wis.). She holds the Credit Union Development Educators, Development Educator European Union and Credit Union HR Compliance Professional certifications, as well as an Ed.M. in education, policy and organizational leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an Executive Education certification in Human Resources Management from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. In her new role, Weingart will serve on the Foundation’s leadership team, developing, leading and executing a comprehensive program and product strategy for the Foundation including developing strategies for assessing credit union or system partner needs and positioning the Foundation’s programs and resources as potential solutions through a consultative approach. She will also continue to serve as lead facilitator for the delivery of the Foundation’s signature Development Education program and other experiential offerings.

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