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The $1 billion OnPath Federal Credit Union in Metairie, La. – which become the state's fourth-largest credit union on June 1 upon the finalization of its merger with Louisiana Federal Credit Union – revealed the makeup of its new leadership team.
Jared Freeman Jared Freeman, who has served as president/CEO of OnPath since 2020, will continue to serve as CEO of the newly-combined organization. Freeman has nearly 20 years of experience in the credit union industry and has spearheaded several strategic initiatives for OnPath, such as expanding its digital services, enhancing member education, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, the credit union said. According to his LinkedIn page, prior to joining OnPath, he served as chief experience officer for Leaders Credit Union ($1 billion, Jackson, Tenn.) from 2018-2020, president/CEO for ASE Federal Credit Union ($396 million, Montgomery, Ala.) from 2015-2018 and COO for ($1 billion, Montgomery, Ala.) from 2005-2015.
Rhonda Hotard Rhonda Hotard, former president/CEO for Louisiana FCU, is now president of OnPath. Hotard began her career with Louisiana FCU in 1994, having previously served in the United States Navy. According to OnPath, she has been instrumental in developing and implementing programs that benefit the members and the community, such as financial literacy, community outreach and social responsibility. She is a Certified Credit Union Executive, Certified Financial Services Professional and Credit Union Risk Management Expert, and currently serves on the Louisiana Credit Union League Board and the LCUL Foundation Committee.
OnPath also appointed the following eight individuals to the newly-merged credit union's executive team: Elia Diaz-Yaeger, chief legal officer; Kristen DeDual, COO; Darlene Gibson, CFO; Thomas Aleman, chief administrative officer; Kevin Plaisance, chief information officer; Candace Washington Theodore, SVP member engagement; Ross Talbert, chief lending officer; and Melissa (Missy) Matherne, chief accounting officer.
More details about these executives will be included in CU Times' Career Moves column on June 25.
"We are excited to announce our new executive team, which represents the best of both OnPath CU and Louisiana FCU," Freeman stated. "We have a diverse and talented group of leaders, who share a common vision and values for our credit union. We look forward to working together to create a stronger and more successful organization, that will benefit our members, our employees and our community."
Hotard added, "This merger is a historic milestone for the credit union industry in Louisiana, and we are honored to be part of it. We have a great opportunity to leverage our combined resources, expertise and network to offer more products, services and convenience to our members. We are committed to maintaining our local identity and presence, and supporting the communities we consider family."
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
