4 Credit Unions, MAP Name New SVPs & C-suite Talent

WEST

The $202 million, El Centro, Calif.-based First Imperial Credit Union announced two promotions.

Lupita Agbalog was promoted to branch manager of the El Centro branch. Agbalog has been with FICU for more than four years and has nearly two decades of banking experience. She served as the Imperial, Calif., and Calexico branch manager before becoming the branch manager for the El Centro branch headquarters in early August. In her new role, she will further enhance the credit union’s operations and support for its strategic objectives.

Ashley Lara was promoted to branch manager of the Calexico, Calif., branch. Lara joined the credit union 10 years ago as a member service representative and served as its first universal associate, paving the way to build a position that encourages well-rounded skills through a blend of multiple credit union functions.

The $1.1 billion, Lakewood, Colo.-based Credit Union of Denver hired Tony Nieto as chief lending officer. Nieto previously served as chief lending officer for the $411 million On Tap Credit Union in Golden, Colo., and brings over 24 years of experience leading global lending operations and driving high-level efficiencies. He also served as vice president of lending for Orlando Credit Union ($357 million, Orlando, Fla.) and in various roles for The Delaware County Bank & Trust and Citigroup North America. He graduated from the 37-week CUES School of Business Lending, served as three-term class president for the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and earned his Executive Leadership Certificate from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

The $8.5 billion, Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Redwood Credit Union hired Susanne Miller as an SVP over accounting and finance. In her new role, Miller will oversee financial planning and analysis, business finance support, and the accounting and financial reporting teams. Miller brings over 30 years of capital and financial markets industry experience. Prior to joining RCU, she served in multiple global senior executive business and finance positions at Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Barclays Bank. She also held roles at HSBC, American Express and JP Morgan, and has extensive consulting and audit experience with Arthur Andersen LLP. She holds a master of accountancy science from the University of Illinois and is an active Certified Public Accountant.

Elisa Ross, vice president of marketing for the $2.3 billion, Tucson, Ariz.-based Hughes Federal Credit Union, was accepted into the International Women’s Forum Arizona (IWF AZ). IWF AZ, an invitation-only organization, includes over 100 preeminent women leaders in industries ranging from business and government to the arts and academia, along with a host of nonprofit executives. Ross has over 30 years of experience in the financial industry including 24 years of service at Hughes.

EAST

The $7.8 billion, Enola, Pa.-based Members 1st Federal Credit Union promoted Scott Witwer to chief compliance officer. He most recently served as SVP of compliance for Members 1st. In his new role, Witwer will oversee the compliance and risk management areas of the credit union, helping to lead it through the complexities of today’s regulatory landscape. Witwer joined Members 1st in December 2023, bringing over 30 years of financial industry experience. Throughout his career, he has served in managerial roles across many business units, including customer service and retention, collections, lending, in-house counsel and more.

The $2.5 billion, Suitland, Md.-based Andrews Federal Credit Union promoted Yelena Gureyeva to SVP of accounting and finance. In her new role, Gureyeva will lead a team of accounting and finance professionals, as well as guide cross-functional teams to ensure the most efficient use of credit union resources. She will also play a key role in strategic management and ensuring the credit union is positioned for long-term success, maximizing efficiency and creating competitive advantages. Gureyeva has over 30 years of financial experience, including leadership positions at large credit unions and media and entertainment companies. She holds a master’s degree in finance, and is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant.

MIDWEST

The $7.8 billion, East Lansing, Mich.-based MSUFCU announced one role transition, one promotion and one new hire.

Karen Villaflor was named vice president of commercial and residential lending-Illinois. Villaflor most recently served as president and COO of Algonquin State Bank, which was acquired by MSUFCU. Before that, she was EVP at ASB, tax director at MB Financial Bank, tax manager at Grant Thornton LLP and tax manager at McGladrey. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School of Banking.

Meredith Kilbridge was promoted to manager of the Lincoln and Halsted branch in Chicago. Kilbridge most recently served as assistant branch manager for MSUFCU’s Marsh branch in Haslett, Mich. Before that, she was in management development at MSUFCU, general manager at Tiff’s Treats Cookie Delivery, and regional and wholesale manager and general manager for Erin McKenna’s Bakery, among other positions.

Corena Leutscher was hired as manager of the Clark Street branch in Chicago. Leutscher previously held positions as escrow agent for Premier Lakeshore Title, branch manager at Lake Michigan Credit Union ($14.2 billion, Caledonia, Mich.), branch manager at Community Shores Bank and escrow officer at Metropolitan Title Agency Inc.

The $14.2 billion, Caledonia, Mich.-based Lake Michigan Credit Union hired Dennis McLean as vice president of commercial lending in Sarasota, Fla. McLean brings nearly 30 years of commercial lending experience to LMCU, having previously served in roles at financial institutions in both Southwest Florida and the Boston metropolitan area.

The $1 billion, Saginaw, Mich.-based Wildfire Credit Union appointed Rodney Kloha to its board as an associate board member. Kloha has been with Circle K Service Corporation since 1986, where he started as a technician and worked his way up the ladder. He has served as president of the company for the last 10 years. He also serves as vice chairman of governmental affairs for the Midland Business Alliance in Midland, Mich., and chairman of the board for the National Federation of Independent Business Association.

SOUTH

The $4.5 billion, Warner Robins, Ga.-based Robins Financial Credit Union promoted Steve Kipper to vice president of member engagement. In his new role, Kipper will provide a comprehensive approach to serving the credit union’s members, ensuring they are given the best possible experience through all the delivery channels. Kipper has two decades of experience in the financial industry, including five years at Robins Financial.

The $1.7 billion, North Augusta, S.C.-based SRP Federal Credit Union promoted Nick Snellings to director of member experience continuous improvements. He most recently served as branch manager of the North Augusta branch for over two years.

In his new role, Snelling’s primary responsibilities will be to drive team member-focused and process-based business transformation by creating consistent team member experiences and internal process improvement across all member servicing channels to include branch locations, the contact center and the virtual experience department. Snellings has worked in the financial industry for 18 years. Prior to joining SRP FCU, he held the roles of teller, teller manager, loan officer, mortgage loan officer, member service representative and assistant branch manager.

CUSOS

Member Access Processing (MAP), a Kent, Wash.-based card processing aggregator for credit unions, hired Andrea Rusnak as SVP, chief strategy officer. Rusnak brings over two decades of strategic leadership experience in the financial services and payments landscapes. She has a background in driving member engagement across payment channels, championing innovation, optimizing payments processing and helping credit unions grow their portfolios. Rusnak also brings expertise in managing client relationships and leading high-performing teams.

Please send your People news items to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com.