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WEST
The $9.3 billion, Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Redwood Credit Union hired Jennifer O’Reilly as SVP of enterprise risk management. In her new role, O’Reilly will lead RCU’s risk and assurance teams, namely risk management, compliance, Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering, internal audit, vendor management and business continuity. She brings over 25 years of experience in financial services, having overseen departments with risk, compliance and internal audit responsibilities. Previously, she served as chief risk officer for SmartBiz Bank; vice president, operations risk and compliance at First Republic Bank; vice president, director of enterprise Risk at First Republic Bank; and SVP at Union Bank. O’Reilly is a Certified Risk Professional through the American Bankers Association, and has served on the Risk Management Association’s Enterprise Risk Council as well as the scholarship committee of the Financial Women of San Francisco.
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The $1.2 billion, Greenbelt, Md.-based Educational Systems Federal Credit Union appointed Lynette Smith to its Supervisory Committee. Smith serves as chief engagement officer for Quantum Governance, L3C, where she works to strengthen governance and leadership within credit unions and other organizations. She previously served as CEO of TruEnergy Federal Credit Union ($128 million, Springfield, Va.) and CFO at Treasury Department Federal Credit Union ($179 million, Washington, D.C.). In her new role, she will support Educational Systems’ mission to provide financial solutions that help educators and their families achieve their financial goals.
The $552 million, Sacramento, Calif.-based First U.S. Community Credit Union hired Jennifer Wilkinson into the newly-created position of chief lending officer. Wilkinson brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in lending, real estate, law and community-focused economic development, having most recently served as president and executive director of a statewide nonprofit advocating for responsible housing policy and private property rights. She was previously chief lending officer at Monterra Credit Union ($1.8 billion, Redwood City, Calif.) and vice president, real estate lending and servicing at Tech Credit Union ($4.6 billion, San Jose, Calif.). In her new role, Wilkinson will oversee all lending operations with a focus on innovation, member impact and financial sustainability, ensuring that First U.S. remains a trusted financial partner for members at every stage of life. She holds an MBA in sustainable business from Marylhurst University in Lake Oswego, Ore.
EAST
The $3.3 billion, Pawtucket, R.I.-based Coastal1 Credit Union announced one new hire and two promotions.
Carla Mello was hired as SVP/chief retail officer. Mello most recently served as mortgage sales manager for the New England Region at Citizens, prior to serving as retail banking director. Prior to Citizens, she held various senior leadership positions at Santander. She also previously served as a board member for New Haven Neighborhood Housing Services and at Urban Edge as a finance committee member.
Matthew D’Agenais was promoted to vice president commercial banking officer. In his new role, D’Agenais is responsible for assisting in the development and management of the credit union’s commercial loan portfolio. He has been with the credit union since 2002, previously serving as assistant vice president business banking/cash management as well as assistant vice president/branch manager. He is a member of Saint Raphael Academy’s Alumni Board.
Leslie Bergeron was promoted to assistant vice president/executive administration assistant. In her new role, Bergeron uses her extensive knowledge of board by-laws, resolutions, documentation and processes to ensure that the credit union’s operations run smoothly and in compliance with all requirements. She also serves as chief editor for Coastal1 Cove, an internal employee portal. She has been with the credit union since 2002.
The $153 million, Hartford, Conn.-based Hartford Federal Credit Union hired James Kane as SVP – operations. In his new role, Kane will lead the credit union’s day-to-day operational functions, including branch operations, compliance, marketing, business development and member services, while working closely with executive leadership to drive strategic growth. He brings over 15 years of experience improving performance, streamlining processes and elevating customer experience across the banking industry. He holds an MBA with a focus in management from the University of Hartford.
The $4.7 billion, Laurel, Md.-based Tower Federal Credit Union hired Brad Giese as vice president/information security officer. Giese brings over 25 years of experience leading cybersecurity programs across federal, defense and financial sectors. Prior to joining Tower, he served as chief information security officer at Iron Bow Technologies. He also held key senior cybersecurity leadership roles at Boeing and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional. In his new role, Giese will be responsible for advancing Tower’s security strategy; overseeing threat resilience, compliance and risk management functions; and aligning cybersecurity initiatives with the credit union’s overall goals.
MIDWEST
SOUTH
The $4.7 billion, Warner Robins, Ga.-based Robins Financial Credit Union hired Zoltan Szabo as vice president of risk management. Szabo brings more than 25 years of experience across the financial services industry, as well as expertise in auditing, compliance, strategic planning and enterprise risk. His career has spanned a wide range of entities, including mutual funds, banks, private equity firms, government-sponsored enterprises, credit unions and CUSOs.
The $953 million, Austin, Texas-based Greater Texas Credit Union promoted Araceli Speed to senior growth officer. In her new role, Speed is working to strengthen business development efforts across all Greater Texas’ markets, including initiatives to activate and deepen partnerships with Texas State University. Working closely with the many Greater Texas branches, local businesses and others, her objective is to further expand the membership base by promoting Greater Texas and to enhance its community presence and visibility. Speed has been with Greater Texas for nearly 15 years, starting as a member services representative and moving up to head teller and teller supervisor. In 2015, she was named a branch manager, then five years later an area branch manager. She currently serves as secretary of School Fuel and as a San Marcos Young Professionals committee member for the Chamber of Commerce in San Marcos, Texas.
The $307 million, West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Guardians Credit Union re-hired Remi Lukosiunas into the newly-created position of assistant vice president of project management and process improvement. In his new role, Lukosiunas will oversee key internal projects to enhance operational efficiency, align processes with strategic goals and support Guardians’ ongoing commitment to member-focused service. He first joined Guardians in 2010 when it was known as Palm Beach County Credit Union to underwrite consumer loans, support members in opening accounts and lead financial literacy efforts. Following his initial time at Guardians, he served as a financial analyst at Weiss Ratings. Most recently, he served as underwriting manager at LendingOne, a subsidiary of Blackstone Inc.
VENDORS
The Dallas, Texas-based financial advisory services firm ALM First promoted Alec Hollis to principal. Hollis joined the firm in 2012 and has more than a dozen years of direct experience in balance sheet strategy and risk management. In his new role, Hollis oversees several of the firm’s key areas including hedging, mortgage secondary services, and research and development/financial tools, including the newly-launched Liquidity OnDemand. Prior to his promotion, he served in various roles, including as a managing director for the ALM Strategy Group. Hollis received the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2016.
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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.
