The $608 million, San Jose, Calif.-based CommonWealth Central Credit Union hired Vince Salinas as chief lending officer. Salinas brings over 30 years of lending experience, having most recently served as vice president, home loans for the $9.5 billion, Dublin, Calif.-based Patelco Credit Union. In his new role, he will serve as a strong steward of CommonWealth’s brand and take responsibility for all lending departments and performance. He will also serve as a key member of the leadership team, providing energy, creativity and meaningful insights to help drive strategic business decisions and results.
EAST
David Sweiderk
David Sweiderk, president/CEO of the $5.7 billion, Linthicum, Md.-based SECU, was named to The Daily Record’s 2024-2025 Power 100 List, which highlights leaders from a range of industries, including finance, health care and higher education. The honorees are acknowledged for their ability to navigate rapid technological advancements, address social challenges and prepare Maryland for an increasingly competitive future. Sweiderk has led SECU for more than six years, drawing on more than 25 years of experience in managing high-performing organizations. Among other honors, he has also been named to The Daily Record’s 2022- 2023 and 2023-2024 lists of Influential Marylanders, and the 2020 Most Admired CEO list.
SOUTH
Dan Newman
The $4.5 billion, Warner Robins, Ga.-based Robins Financial Credit Union hired Dan Newman as project manager. In his new role, Newman will oversee key projects aimed at streamlining operations, enhancing member experiences and fostering innovation within the credit union. He, along with the rest of the Project Management team, will collaborate closely with departments across the organization to ensure the successful execution of initiatives that support Robins Financial’s long-term vision. His leadership will be guided by core principles of teamwork, communication and integrity. Newman previously spent 26 years in the United States Air Force specializing in cyber operations management, followed by 12 years leading projects focused on upgrading IT and UAV communication systems.
LEAGUES
Chriselle Martinez
The Credit Union Association of New Mexico announced two promotions.
Chriselle Martinez, PhD, was promoted to vice president of legislative affairs and programs. She previously served as vice president of partnerships and development at CUANM. In her new role, Martinez will focus on building strong relationships with legislators to advocate for New Mexico’s credit unions while continuing to oversee CUANM’s events and educational programs.
Sara Rochelle
Sara Rochelle was promoted to assistant vice president of partnerships and communications. She previously served as director of communications and member engagement at CUANM. In her new role, Rochelle will grow CUANM’s partnerships and lead efforts to expand communication strategies that bring the credit union community closer together.
VENDORS
Simon Paris (left) and Chris Walters
Finastra, a global provider of financial services software applications, appointed Chris Walters as CEO. He succeeds Simon Paris, who will step down from his role as CEO after nearly a decade of leadership. Walters brings a wealth of experience from senior executive leadership positions, which included driving innovation and scaling technology companies. He recently served as CEO of Pluralsight and Avantax. Prior to that, Walters served in a variety of leadership roles, including being a partner at McKinsey & Company and the COO of Bloomberg Industry Verticals Group.
AKUVO, a Malvern, Pa.-based technology organization specializing in collections and credit risk management, hired William Coffey as chief risk and data officer. Coffey brings decades of experience in transformative technology, cybersecurity and risk management, having most recently served as SVP and chief technology officer at WSFS Bank, a regional bank serving the Mid-Atlantic.
Will Coffey
Prior to WSFS, Coffey spent nearly 20 years at Vanguard, where he held senior roles including head of the program management office, and chief technology and operations officer for the legal and compliance division. In his new role, he will oversee AKUVO’s data strategy, risk management and cybersecurity initiatives, as well as support strategic efforts to continue to expand the company’s bank market share.
Please send your People news items to Natasha Chilingerian at [email protected].
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.
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