Several credit unions including Dover Federal Credit Union and Texans Credit Union announced new hires, and SRM (Strategic Resource Management) welcomed the newest member of their International Advisory Board.

New Hires

• Dover Federal Credit Union (DFCU) is pleased to announce that Jarrett Harris has joined Dover Federal Credit Union as the Vice President of Information Technology. Mr. Harris brings a wealth of knowledge and 26 years of international experience in cyber security, IT infrastructure and data processing. Prior to joining Dover Federal Credit Union, his experience includes a position as the General Manager of Global IT Operations covering 26 countries and 10,000 users in a 10-billion-dollar organization. Further, Jarrett brings additional knowledge from his time as the Chief Information Security Officer for a data processing organization operating across the United States. With his expertise in IT architecture and cyber security, Dover Federal Credit Union will be poised for efficiency and operational growth while providing the state-of-the art security required in a digital intensive world.

• The Labor Community Foundation (LCF) is thrilled to introduce Christopher Lorence as its new Executive Director. Lorence, a nationally recognized leader in financial services with over two decades of executive experience, will guide the Foundation's mission of advancing Financial Awareness, Career Preparation, and Community Engagement.Christopher Lorence brings a wealth of expertise in marketing, brand development, and strategic communications. With a proven track record of driving results and enhancing brand awareness, Lorence has built a reputation for his creativity, resilience, and leadership. His dynamic and authentic approach aligns seamlessly with the Foundation’s values and goals.

• LAFCU has welcomed Angela O’Neel as payroll and benefits specialist and Candace Williams as talent acquisition specialist, a newly-created position at the Michigan credit union. Both O’Neel and Williams bring key expertise that strengthens LAFCU’s human resources team. “The addition of Angela and Candace further bolsters LAFCU's HR department,” said Patricia Forsyth, vice president of human resources, LAFCU. “Their expertise allows us to streamline our internal processes and enhance our recruitment efforts. LAFCU is the only credit union in Michigan we are aware of that has a dedicated recruiter on staff, which ensures we can continue attracting and retaining top talent.”

• Glia has appointed Chad Haydar as Senior Vice President of Alliances & Channels. In this role, Haydar will deepen partner relationships and broaden the company's growing ecosystem, helping Glia and its partners achieve shared goals and continue to accelerate momentum in the market.

• Royal Credit Union (Royal) announces Oyeronke “Ronke” Olatoye as the new Mortgage Closing Supervisor at Lake Area Mortgage- A Division of Royal Credit Union. In this position, Olatoye is responsible for leading the Lake Area Mortgage Closing and Post-Closing teams to ensure that mortgages are closed in accordance with state and federal guidelines while supporting organizational objectives and goals.

• GoWest Credit Union Association is pleased to announce Madlynn Schreibvogel has been named Vice President of Public Relations. This new position was created to promote the value of credit unions across Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, elevate the Association's public presence, and further efforts to educate about the benefits of joining a credit union.

• Texans Credit Union (Texans) announced today the appointment of Amy Ecker as its director of marketing and Cameron Smith as its director of consumer lending. After two decades of leading successful brand initiatives in the credit union industry, Ecker brings extensive experience to her role as she will oversee all of Texans’ marketing functions. She will direct corporate initiatives and develop comprehensive plans to strengthen real estate lending, drive membership growth and elevate the member experience across the entire brand. Texans’ product positioning, advertising and communication across various marketing platforms, including Texans' website, social media, print media, digital advertising and search engine marketing will also be under Ecker’s strategic management. Smith will be responsible for the daily oversight and management of the consumer lending department, focusing on both direct and indirect underwriting, loan processing and consumer loan servicing. He will leverage data and analytics to monitor credit risk and drive product development, establishing key performance indicators to assess team productivity and promote continuous improvement. Additionally, Smith will work collaboratively across departments to align lending goals with organizational objectives, enhancing the overall member experience. 

• InFirst Federal Credit Union (InFirst) announces a new Chief Information Officer. We are excited to announce that Steve Crowder joined our team as our Chief Information Officer. Steve has over 25 years of experience in the credit union industry, including data analytics, lending, website design, corporate projects, and information technology. He has been the driving force for several large projects at his past employer, including telephone upgrades, mobile application upgrades, and core operating systems. Steve is a graduate of Roanoke College and earned the certification from the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) as a Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE).

Recognitions

• Eglin Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce Account Services Representative Tommy Tensley has been selected as the 5-Star Performer of the 3rd Quarter of 2024. Tommy has been employed with the Credit Union since October 2022 and currently resides in Fort Walton Beach. The 5-Star Performer Award is a quarterly employee recognition program. The nominator provides a written submission describing how the employee embraces EFCU's Five-Star Values: Respectful, Trustworthy, Dedicated, Proactive and Engaged. 

Promotions

• LAFCU is pleased to announce the promotion of Umar Tahir to vice president of marketing, enterprise innovation and digital assets of the Michigan credit union. In his new role, Tahir oversees LAFCU’s digital platforms while guiding the credit union’s innovative and transformative efforts in alignment with LAFCU’s strategic plan. "Umar's extensive background in transformational leadership, his adeptness at identifying and implementing process enhancements for streamlined operations, and his prior oversight of LAFCU’s Contact Center make him ideally suited for this newly established role," said Kelli Ellsworth Etchison, LAFCU chief marketing officer and chief diversity officer. “His appointment is pivotal, particularly in advancing our digital and marketing initiatives as we embrace technology-driven growth and innovation.”

• InFirst Federal Credit Union (InFirst) announces the promotion of a Senior Vice President of Sales and Service. As our organization grows and evolves, we recognize the need to adapt to the changing landscape and stay ahead of the curve. Jamie Priest’s exemplary leadership and passion for the member experience led to her recent promotion from Vice President of Sales and Service to Senior Vice President of Sales and Service. Jamie will be directly responsible for cultivating valuable member relationships and experiences. She will focus on positioning the credit union as a leader in sales and service to best serve our members' needs. By transforming the member experience from the ground up, Jamie's efforts will solidify our foundation in communities and continue to improve the lives of our members.

Appointments

• SRM (Strategic Resource Management) announced that former Navy Federal Credit Union President and CEO Mary McDuffie is the newest member of its diverse and growing International Advisory Board. With a distinguished career spanning over two decades at Navy Federal Credit Union, McDuffie fostered a member-centric, highly-digital culture at the top U.S. credit union (by asset size).