Credit/AdobeStock
WEST
Veronica Valentine, real estate sales manager for the $1.7 billion, Redwood City, Calif.-based Monterra Credit Union, was honored with the SAMCAR Affiliate of the Year Award for 2024. This accolade recognizes an individual affiliate’s outstanding efforts and service to the San Mateo County Association of Realtors (SAMCAR), the real estate profession and the community. At Monterra, she helps members achieve the dream of homeownership by providing access to affordable home loans through the credit union. She also serves as a member of the SAMCAR Planning Committee, playing a key role in organizing and participating in various fundraising and community events that align with SAMCAR’s mission to support the real estate profession and local communities.
MIDWEST
Heidi Kiecker was promoted to assistant vice president of fraud/Bank Secrecy Act officer. In her new role, Kiecker will oversee the daily operations of the BSA and fraud teams by developing procedures and policies ensuring compliance with BSA regulations, educating, and protecting and preventing loss to members and the credit union by communicating with members, internal team members, vendors, authorities and auditors regarding all aspects of BSA and fraud. Kiecker joined Fox in 2016 and most recently served as BSA/fraud officer.
TRADES
Stacey Cameron, deputy secretary for depository institutions at the Pennsylvania Department of Banking & Securities (DoBS), was appointed to the NASCUS Regulator Board of Directors. Cameron brings extensive expertise in financial regulation, legal counsel and information technology. In her role at DoBS, Cameron oversees the chartering, regulation, supervision and examination of Pennsylvania state-chartered banks, credit unions and non-depository trust companies. She has held other leadership roles within DoBS, as well as in IT management and legal counsel in the private sector. Cameron holds a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School in Boston and serves on several NASCUS committees and industry boards.
VENDORS
Sarah Reicks, based in Dubuque, was promoted to SVP, wealth advisor and trust officer. In her new role, she will provide leadership to FCT’s wealth advisor team with holistic financial planning and continue her current duties serving and helping clients in the Dubuque office with retirement income strategies, risk-based investment management, and trust administration and estate planning.
Luke Mann, based in Dubuque, was promoted to senior trust operations specialist. In his new role, he will maintain operational controls for FCT with a focus on account reconciliations, transactional reviews and record keeping. He will also support in implementing departmental efficiencies and lead training for new hires.
Mikayla Spires, based in Dubuque, was hired to the compliance team as a compliance associate. In her new role, she will provide support with the ongoing development, review and execution of FCT’s compliance function.
Jason Freese, based in Des Moines, Iowa, was promoted to vice president, wealth advisor and trust officer. In his new role, he will serve Greater Iowa, MEMBERS1st and River Valley Credit Unions in Des Moines and Ames, Iowa, helping members with holistic financial planning, retirement income strategies, risk-based investment management, as well as trust administration and estate planning.
Lisa McCool, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was promoted to vice president, wealth advisor and trust officer. In her new role, she will serve the $1.6 billion Collins Community Credit Union in Cedar Rapids, helping members with holistic financial planning, retirement income strategies, risk-based investment management, as well as trust administration and estate planning.
Please send your People news items to Natasha Chilingerian at [email protected].
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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.
