Five Credit Unions in Four States Appoint New CEOs

Bryan Thomas will become the next president/CEO of the $666 million Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union in Cheyenne, Wyo., the board of directors announced.

He will succeed current President/CEO Kim Withers who will retire on Jan. 12 after 32 years of her leadership service.

“Kim has always been an incredible visionary, whether it’s building new branches to serve members in more areas or expanding the digital offerings to allow members to conduct their financial transactions from anywhere,” Meridian Trust Board Chair Dean Fausset said. “She has a history of always doing the right thing, whether it’s for credit union members, the community, or the 100 plus employees. She does it all with intelligence, foresight, and a contagious and optimistic can-do spirit. She’s created an environment of engagement, where good ideas grow and thrive. While we will miss her greatly, we also have the utmost confidence in Bryan Thomas to take Meridian Trust to the next level. We’re excited about our future.”

Thomas joined the credit union in 2018 as its executive vice president. He holds 23 years of credit union industry experience with 16 years in executive leadership, the credit union said.

Meridian Trust’s 100 employees run 12 locations that serve more than 40,000 members.

Mark Cramer will become the next president/CEO of the $589 million OMNI Community Credit Union in Battle Creek, Mich. on Dec. 1, the board of directors said.

He will succeed current President/CEO Ted Parsons who will retire after 18 years of service at the credit union.

“We’ve built a loving, caring culture. We’re not just colleagues, we’re family. We’re all committed to providing a great experience for our members and work together to accomplish that,” Parsons said. “My goal every day was to make a difference for the people I work with, as well as the members of the credit union. I aim to inspire people to be better in their life and I hope my life has affected people in a positive way.”

Cramer began his credit union career at OMNI Community as a loan officer and credit manager. He left the credit union in 2007 to serve as vice president of operations for the $280 million E&A Credit Union in Port Huron, which was merged in 2014. He returned to OMNI Community in 2008 as its CFO and was promoted to executive vice president in 2021.

OMNI Community’s 132 employees operate 13 locations serving nearly 45,000 members.

Sati Smith has been appointed the president/CEO of the $479 million Diversified Members Credit Union in Detroit Mich.

She succeeds Kathie Trembath who retired after more than 40 years of service in the credit union industry.

Smith launched her career as a teller and data processing clerk at the $1.5 billion Kemba Financial Credit Union in West Chester, Ohio. She joined Diversified Members CU in 2005 as an operations manager and became COO in 2019.

“Sati’s promotion marks the beginning of reaching new goals and heights in her career and is also the start of a new chapter for DMCU,” Diversified Members Board Chair David H. Brooks said. “The board of directors is proud of Sati’s accomplishments. We know she’ll be an outstanding mentor and role model, and we look forward to her leadership and innovative initiatives to come.”

The credit union’s 89 employees operate five branches and serve nearly 30,000 members.

In Massachusetts, Lisa Asadourian has been appointed president/CEO of the $347 million MassMutual Federal Credit Union in Springfield, the board of director announced.

She succeeds David Plantier who retired in July after more than 38 years of service.

Asadourian worked for more than 20 years at the $565 million Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union in Rocky Hill, Conn., where she served as its marketing director and chief engagement officer. Before joining MassMutual, she was the founder of New Reach Lending Company in New Haven, Conn., that offered programs and products that promoted financial inclusion, according to Asadourian’s LinkedIn page.

“Among our talented pool of candidates, Lisa’s enthusiasm for our purpose, our members, and for growing our team set her apart,” MassMutual Board Chair Kerry Hurley said. “We are confident about the future at MassMutual FCU with Lisa as our president/CEO.”

Teri Krakowka has been named president/CEO of the $146 million Southwest Montana Community Federal Credit Union in Anaconda, the board of directors said.

She succeeds Tom Dedman who is retiring after 12 years of service.

Krakowka started her career at Southwest Montana Community FCU as a general office support staffer while still in high school and continued during her breaks while a college student at Montana Tech, where she graduated in 2001. Since that time, she has served as the credit union’s chief financial officer.

“We had many qualified candidates, so we were pleased that our best choice was already on our team,” Southwest Montana Community Board Chair Mike Hahm said. “Teri brings experience and enthusiasm to the role. I speak for the entire board by saying that we’re looking forward to our next chapter with her at the helm.”

Southwest Montana Community’s 36 employees run two branches and serve more than 8,000 members.