Larissa Thurston
Nearly five months after executive search and leadership development firm DDJ Myers launched a search for the next president/CEO of Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union, a decision has been reached. Larissa Thurston, who most recently served as president/CEO of the $997 million, Marlborough, Mass.-based St. Mary's Credit Union, will succeed Mark Cochran upon his retirement at the end of the summer.
Thurston brings more than 24 years of financial services experience to her new CEO role at Jeanne D'Arc ($2.1 billion, Lowell, Mass.). Prior to serving as president/CEO for St. Mary's, she held various other executive level positions at both St. Mary's and the Bank of New England, where she served as vice president and controller, according to Friday's announcement from DDJ Myers, an ALM First company.
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"We are delighted to announce that Larissa Thurston will join JDCU as our next president and CEO," Jeanne D'Arc Board Chair Naomi Prendergast stated. "Larissa's extensive experience as both a credit union CEO and CFO, coupled with the talents of our existing executive team, will continue and expand upon JDCU's standing as a mission-focused community financial partner. Our board is incredibly grateful to Mark Cochran, our outgoing president and CEO, for the past 17 years, and we wish him all the best upon his retirement."
Outside of her work as a credit union executive, Thurston serves as chairperson of the board for both the Boys & Girls Club of MetroWest in Marlborough and the United Way of Tri-County in Framingham, Mass. She is also on the board of the Marlborough Economic Development Committee. Previously, she served on the board of the Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce in Westborough, Mass., and as a volunteer income tax preparer and student Mentor through Read to a Child, a national literacy and mentoring nonprofit. In addition, she served as a committee member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston's Member Advisory Panel and member of the Bolton Economic Development Committee in Bolton, Mass.
"I'm honored to carry Mark's philanthropic work forward and continue building upon JDCU's 'Heart to Serve' mission with the support of our experienced executive leadership team and dedicated employees," Thurston stated. "Together, I know we will find new and innovative ways to positively impact our community, further strengthen our cooperative and help even more members make smart financial choices."
Thurston holds an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. She also earned an Executive Leadership Certificate through Wharton Executive Education, graduating from the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking and completing the ABA's Financial Managers School.
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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.
