Karima Freeman
The Virginia Credit Union League Board of Directors announced Tuesday that current COO Karima Freeman will take over as interim president/CEO once current President/CEO Carrie Hunt leaves the position to take a leadership spot with America's Credit Unions on March 1.
Hunt was named Chief Advocacy Officer at America's Credit Unions by the organization's President/CEO Jim Nussle in December.
According to Tuesday's announcement, Freeman has been with the Virginia League for 23 years, and currently manages membership services and oversees the League's accounting, human resources and information technology functions.
League Board Chair and CEO of NextMark Credit Union ($532 million, Fairfax, Va.), Joe Thomas, said, "Karima is a proven leader with decades-long relationships within the Virginia credit union system and a deep knowledge of the League's operations. The League Board looks forward to working with her, in partnership with the management team and staff, as we begin a new chapter in the League's history and as we mark our 90th year of service to Virginia's credit unions."
Freeman said, "Each of us at the League is committed to the success of Virginia's credit unions. I'm proud of what we accomplish through the support and engagement of our member credit unions – as an advocate and champion; as their premier business solutions provider; and as the driving force behind collaborative initiatives that support credit unions' growth and success."
Of Hunt's upcoming departure, Thomas added, "We are grateful for Carrie's work these past three years in charting a course for the League that best articulated our vision to promote, protect and strengthen Virginia's credit unions. We wish her well as she begins an exciting new chapter in her career, one that continues her exemplary service to the credit union industry."
"I'm honored to have led the Virginia League and know this organization will continue to deliver value to its member credit unions," Hunt said. "It was a privilege to work with so many passionate people who worked to strengthen this already extraordinary organization and I look forward to continuing a strong relationship with the League in my new role."
The League Board said it is working with D. Hilton Associates Inc. to search for a permanent successor to Hunt.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
