logo for the 2024 Credit Union Times Luminaries AwardsOn Wednesday, CU Times announced the 2024 Luminaries Awards finalists for credit unions and credit union professionals who have excelled in not only the "people helping people" philosophy, but excelled in ways to grow their credit unions, connect with their communities and bringing new technological achievements for members.

CU Times received a record number of submissions for the 2024 Luminaries Awards in several new categories. Wednesday's announcement involved finalists recognized in 16 credit union categories. The finalists include the following:

Community Impact – Credit Unions ($1B & under)

  • Strata Credit Union, Bakersfield, Calif.
  • Verity Credit Union, Seattle
  • American 1 Credit Union, Jackson, Mich.

Community Impact – Credit Unions ($1B-$4B)

  • Chartway Credit Union, Virginia Beach, Va.
  • Addition Financial Credit Union, Lake Mary, Fla.
  • AmeriCU Credit Union, Rome, N.Y.
  • United States Senate Federal Credit Union, Alexandria, Va.
  • Family Savings Credit Union, Rainbow City, Ala.
  • OnPath Federal Credit Union, Metairie, La.
  • Commonwealth Credit Union, Frankfort, Ky.
  • USF Federal Credit Union, Temple Terrace, Fla.

Community Impact – Credit Unions ($4B & higher)

  • California Credit Union, Glendale, Calif.
  • FAIRWINDS Credit Union, Orlando, Fla.
  • Delta Community Credit Union, Atlanta
  • Teachers Federal Credit Union, Hauppauge, N.Y.
  • Alliant Credit Union, Chicago
  • Northwest Federal Credit Union, Herndon, Va.
  • MSUFCU, East Lansing, Mich.
  • VyStar Credit Union, Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Suncoast Credit Union, Tampa, Fla.
  • GreenState Credit Union, North Liberty, Iowa

Community Impact – Individuals ($1B & under)

  • Ziquora Banks, Verity Credit Union, Seattle
  • James Hunter, New Orleans Firemen's Federal Credit Union, New Orleans
  • Donald Carden Coosa, Pines Federal Credit Union, Childersburg, Ala.

Community Impact – Individuals ($1B-$4B)

  • Cristina Lehman, Addition Financial Credit Union, Lake Mary, Fla.
  • Robert E. Martin, Indiana Members Credit Union, Marion, Ind.
  • Matthew Skaggs, Nuvision Credit Union, Gig Harbor, Wash.
  • Maria Brunner, Credit Union West, Glendale, Ariz.
  • Yvonne Garand, New England Federal Credit Union, Williston, Vt.
  • April Bitler, Kirtland Credit Union, Albuquerque, N.M.

Community Impact – Individuals ($4B & higher)

  • Elisha Gonzalez, FAIRWINDS Credit Union, Orlando, Fla.
  • Erica Taylor, Golden 1 Credit Union, Sacramento, Calif.
  • Marc Wilensky, Tower Federal Credit Union, Laurel, Md.

Credit Union Executive Leadership – CEO ($1B & under)

  • Cam Minges, Financial Center First Credit Union, Indianapolis
  • Christine Blake, Cardinal Credit Union, Mentor, Ohio
  • Brian Sherrick, Ideal Credit Union, Woodbury, Minn.
  • Tonita Webb, Verity Credit Union, Seattle
  • Caitlin Brama, Farm Credit Employees Federal Credit Union, St. Paul, Minn.
  • Sarah Mosley, Telcoe Federal Credit Union, Little Rock, Ark.
  • Donald Carden, Coosa Pines Federal Credit Union, Childersburg, Ala.
  • April Tompkins, Explorers Credit Union, Yankton, S.D.
  • Jeffery Kusler, Journey Federal Credit Union, East Lansing, Mich.

Credit Union Executive Leadership – CEO ($1B-$4B)

  • Eric Renaud, Pima Federal Credit Union, Tucson, Ariz.
  • Timothy Anderson, United States Senate Federal Credit Union, Alexandria, Va.
  • Steven Stapp, Unitus Community Credit Union, Tigard, Ore.
  • Mark Burgess, Credit Union 1, Anchorage, Alaska
  • Karen Harbin, Commonwealth Credit Union, Frankfort, Kan.
  • Ken Orgeron, Andrews Federal Credit Union, Suitland, Md.
  • Karen Roch, Credit Union West, Glendale, Ariz.
  • Scott Arkills, Silver State Schools Credit Union, Las Vegas
  • Jason Lee, REV Federal Credit Union, Charleston, S.C.
  • Jennifer Oliver, Rize Credit Union, Irwindale, Calif.

Credit Union Executive Leadership – CEO ($4B & higher)

  • Hank Halter, Delta Community Credit Union, Atlanta
  • Larry Tobin, FAIRWINDS Credit Union, Orlando, Fla.
  • Donna Bland, Golden 1 Credit Union, Sacramento, Calif.
  • Greg Mitchell, First Tech Federal Credit Union, Portland, Ore.
  • Carla Cicero, Numerica Credit Union, Spokane, Wash.
  • Dan Stoltz, Blaze Credit Union, White Bear Lake, Minn.
  • Jeff Bentley, Northwest Federal Credit Union, Great Falls, Mont.
  • Brad Calhoun, Teachers Federal Credit Union, Hauppauge, N.Y.

Credit Union Executive Leadership – C-Suite (all asset sizes)

  • Corey Cunningham, Energy Capital Credit Union, Cypress, Texas
  • Darlene Gibson, OnPath Federal Credit Union, Metairie, La.
  • Eric Bush, Members 1st Federal Credit Union, Enola, Penn.
  • Kristin Robertucci, ORNL Federal Credit Union, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
  • Ning Duong, Credit Union West, Glendale, Ariz.
  • Chad Meadows, VyStar Credit Union, Jacksonville, Fla.

Credit Union Innovation in Tech – CTO/CIO of the Year

  • BJ Sievers, Cedar Point Federal Credit Union, Lexington Park, Md.
  • Marc Michalowski, NET Credit Union, Scranton, Pa.
  • Nancy Sternitzky, Sound Credit Union, Tacoma, Wash.
  • Suresh Renganathan, Teachers Federal Credit Union, Hauppauge, N.Y.
  • Ben Maxim, MSUFCU, East Lansing, Mich.

Credit Union Innovation in Tech – AI / Cybersecurity / Mobile Banking

  • Sound Credit Union, Tacoma, Wash.
  • Great Lakes Credit Union, Bannockburn, Ill.
  • MSUFCU, East Lansing, Mich.
  • ORNL Federal Credit Union, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
  • California Credit Union, Glendale, Calif.
  • LAFCU, Lansing, Mich.
  • Jovia Financial Credit Union, Westbury, N.Y.

Credit Union Innovation in Tech – Technology Project/Rollout

  • AmeriCU Credit Union, Rome, N.Y.
  • Financial Center Credit Union, Indianapolis
  • California Credit Union, Glendale, Calif.
  • American Heritage Credit Union, Philadelphia
  • Marine Credit Union, Onalaska, Wis.
  • Travis Credit Union, Vacaville, Calif.

Credit Union Rising Star Individuals ($1B & under)

  • Gage Smith, Affinity Credit Union, Des Moines, Iowa
  • Justin Houle, Heartland Credit Union, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
  • Armand Parvazi, New Orleans Firemen's Federal Credit Union, New Orleans
  • Amanda Phifer, Cedar Point Federal Credit Union, Lexington Park, Md.
  • Jake Engel, Financial Center First Credit Union, Indianapolis

Credit Union Rising Star Individuals ($1B-$4B)

  • Brandon Thompson, USF Federal Credit Union, Tampa, Fla.
  • Joshua Mack, Credit Union West, Glendale, Ariz.
  • Amber Herman, All In Credit Union, Mobile, Ala.
  • Joseph Mazza, Metro Credit Union, Charlton, Mass.
  • Yuni Mendoza, Chartway Credit Union, Salt Lake City
  • Matthew Rizzie, GLCU Foundation, Bannockburn, Ill.
  • Steve LeJeune, Marine Credit Union, La Crosse, Wis.
  • Heather Healea, Harborstone Credit Union, Lakewood, Wash.

Credit Union Rising Star Individuals ($4B & higher)

  • Taylor Martin, ORNL Federal Credit Union, Knoxville, Tenn.
  • Matt Brockelman, VyStar Credit Union, Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Angie Dvorak, Everwise Credit Union, South Bend, Ind.
  • Courtney McKinney, Golden 1 Credit Union, Sacramento, Calif.
  • Yonah Sturmwind, Alliant Credit Union, Chicago
  • Namita Tayal, Alliant Credit Union, Chicago
  • Elizabeth Rippel, PSECU, Harrisburg, Pa.

Winners from each category will be announced live at the 2024 CU Times Luminaries Awards gala on Nov. 7 at Disney's Yacht Club Resort in Orlando, Fla. More information about the all-day event can be found here.

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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.

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