11 Professionals Elevate Their Careers With New Roles, Honors

WEST

The $1.4 billion, Ventura, Calif.-based Ventura County Credit Union hired Paul Emanuels as vice president of lending. Emanuels brings over 25 years of industry experience to his new position, including spending the past 17-plus years as vice president of lending and collections for Valley First Credit Union ($1 billion, Modesto, Calif.). Previously, Emanuels served as vice president of consumer lending for The Golden 1 Credit Union ($19.3 billion, Sacramento), assistant vice president of lending for Meriwest Credit Union ($2.1 billion, San Jose, Calif.) and in lending management for Digital Insight, an Intuit Company. He attended Western CUNA Management School and is a Certified Credit Union Executive.

The $3.6 billion, Chatsworth, Calif.-based Premier America Credit Union announced two employee recognitions.

Alex Gallardo, vice president, community impact and financial wellness, was honored by the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues and National Association of Latino Credit Unions & Professionals (NLCUP) with their Community Award at the NLCUP’s recent annual conference. Gallardo was honored for his outstanding efforts with organizations that enhance financial wellness and provide economic empowerment opportunities to communities often left behind.

Alfredo Martinez, Premier America’s financial inclusion and education officer, received the NLCUP’s first-ever Emerging Leader Award during its annual conference. Martinez was also recently sent to Washington, D.C. via a NextGen Advocacy Grant from the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues along with three other emerging leaders. In addition to his work with the credit union, Martinez serves as vice chair of a local affordable housing provider and has been recognized as a “40 under 40” professional by Pacific Coast Business Times.

EAST

The $553 million, Portland, Maine-based Evergreen Credit Union hired Chelsea Watson as community engagement specialist. In her new role, Watson serves as a contact for over 140 dealerships that Evergreen works with as a part of the Local Lending Partners program. She will also be developing programming for young professionals in southern Maine. Watson brings eight years of experience in leadership roles in the banking industry.

Michael Wilson, president/CEO for the $7.8 billion, Enola, Pa.-based Members 1st Federal Credit Union, was named to Central Penn Business Journal’s Power List for Banking, Finance, Accounting and Wealth Management. The honor recognizes his continued leadership efforts for Members 1st and the credit union industry.

MIDWEST

Matthew De Bisschop, SVP of human resources and government affairs for the $549 million, Bettendorf, Iowa-based Ascentra Credit Union, was named Champion of the Year by the Iowa Credit Union League (ICUL) during the 2024 ICUL Annual Meeting on Sept. 19 in Des Moines. The award celebrates his dedication to credit union advocacy and the significant contributions he has made to the Iowa credit union movement. As a member of the ICUL Champion program, De Bisschop serves alongside other credit union employees in Iowa who look to him as a mentor in the credit union advocacy movement. In addition, he is a member of the ICUL Advocacy Committee, which provides direction on the legislative priorities while continuing to strengthen relationships with local legislators across the state of Iowa.

PK Kopun, mortgage loan originator for the $1.3 billion, Omaha, Neb.-based Centris Federal Credit Union, was named Mortgage Professional of the Year by the Nebraska Mortgage Association (NMA). This distinction awarded by the NMA highlights an individual who, in the opinion of his/her peers and of the selection committee, has brought honor to themselves and the mortgage industry throughout their career.

Lake Michigan Credit Union ($14.2 billion, Caledonia, Mich.) hired Karen Koundourakis as chief retail officer for Florida. Koundourakis brings more than 25 years of credit union industry experience. She is a graduate of the Harvard HBX Process Improvement program, Harvard Business School’s Strategic Leadership program and the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School Executive Strategic Leadership Program. In addition, she is a member of the Global Women’s Leadership Florida Board.

SOUTH

The $280 million, Miami Lakes, Fla.-based JetStream Federal Credit Union hired Michael Lemelin as vice president, chief lending officer. In his new role, Lemelin will be responsible for all credit and lending functions and own the overall loan portfolio management. In addition, he and his teams will direct the quality, growth, market competitiveness, risk management and asset diversity for consumer lending, mortgage lending and business lending programs. Lemelin is also tasked with ensuring the strategic direction and execution of the lending portfolios align with JetStream Federal’s mission to help members achieve their financial goals by being a trusted provider of innovative and cost-effective financial services. Prior to joining JetStream Federal, Lemelin served as chief lending officer at Velocity Community Credit Union ($498 million, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and We Florida Financial Credit Union ($760 million, Margate, Fla.). He has also held various leadership positions at other credit unions, banks and in the energy sector.

The $942 million, Austin, Texas-based Greater Texas Credit Union hired Amanda Yates as assistant vice president, payments growth and product management. Yates brings more than 20 years of experience in financial services, having previously worked for organizations ranging from large card issuers to mid-sized financial institutions, growing transaction volume of payment portfolios and identifying, developing and launching new payment products and services to support consumer needs. For the last eight years, she oversaw the consumer payments product portfolio for the $4.1 billion UFCU in Austin. She also held various positions in the payments industry at Fortune 500 companies, including Discover, Bank of America and Conduent, before joining the credit union movement.

VENDORS

PWCampbell, a Pittsburgh, Pa.-based design-build firm for the financial services industry, hired Matthew Ricigliano as regional vice president, sales. In his new role, Ricigliano will be responsible for strengthening existing client relationships, developing new partnerships and leading business development efforts across New York. His focus will be on leveraging PWCampbell’s strengths to deliver tailored solutions that meet the evolving needs of clients in the financial services industry. Ricigliano brings over a decade of experience in client relationship management, having previously served as a sales account executive with BHG Financial and in territory sales for commercial construction at The Garland Company. He also completed Air Force Military and Airman Leadership Advancement Training and was a force security responder with the United States Air Force.

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