Several credit unions announced new hires, including Zeal Credit Union and A+ Federal Credit Union, and the COO of University of Michigan Credit Union was recently named to Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40.

New Hires

• Financial Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Smith as Vice President of Human Resource Operations & Service. In this role, Melissa will drive the organization’s commitment to enhancing the employee experience – focusing on creating an environment where processes are better, faster, and easier for employees, just as Financial Center does for its members.

• Zeal Credit Union proudly welcomes Srinivasa “Sastri” Siravuri as the new Chief Experience Officer (CXO). In his new role, Sastri will spearhead the Credit Union’s efforts to elevate and enhance the overall member experience journey across all touchpoints. Sastri brings a wealth of experience and industry insight to Zeal Credit Union. His visionary and strategic leadership has been instrumental in shaping the credit union landscape. At Zeal, Sastri will focus on optimizing the member journey, enhancing member satisfaction, and driving engagement to ensure Zeal members take full advantage of cutting-edge solutions.

• Joni Hossler and Arlene Stupienski have been announced as the branch managers for MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) locations in northern Illinois. Hossler oversees the Algonquin Road and Randall Road branches in Algonquin. She most recently served as Vice President and Cashier at Algonquin State Bank, which was acquired by MSUFCU. Before that, she held several roles at Algonquin State Bank and Home State Bank. Stupienski oversees the Johnsburg, McHenry, and Richmond locations. She previously held several positions during her 19 years at McHenry Savings Bank, which was acquired by MSUFCU, including Assistant Head of Retail/Training Manager, Assistant Vice President/Training Manager, and Branch Assistant Manager.

• A+ Federal Credit Union (A+FCU) announced Julie Bowering has joined the credit union as Senior Vice President of Lending. Bowering has over 25 years of experience in the financial industry and comes to A+FCU from Elements Financial Federal Credit Union where she was Senior Vice President, Residential Lending. She’s also held leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase and American Home Mortgage, worked as a Branch Manager at National City Bank and Standard Federal Bank, and holds roles on multiple boards and committees including the American Credit Union Mortgage Association Board (ACUMA).

Recognitions

• University of Michigan Credit Union is delighted to share that Marcus English, Chief Operations Officer at UMCU, has been named to the 2024 Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40 list. English was recognized for his integral role in expanding UMCU operations and services, including adding nearly a dozen leader positions to the organization.

Promotions

• GTE Financial is excited to announce the promotions of two key leaders within its Talent Organization. Josh Lansing has been promoted to Vice President of Talent Development & Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery (BCDR), and EJ Gonzalez to Assistant Vice President, Talent Business Partner. Both individuals have demonstrated exceptional leadership and a strong commitment to enhancing GTE Financial’s culture and the overall employee experience.

• Reliant Credit Union is pleased to announce organizational changes that will enhance collaboration and help the credit union achieve greater success for its members and its team.

  • Michael Miller, Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management. Mr. Miller will oversee, manage and direct all aspects of the credit union’s Risk, Consumer Lending, and Payment Solutions departments. He will make significant contributions to the formulations, development, implementation and administration of credit union policies and Reliant’s business plans and goals.

  • Jacquie LaVoie, Business Lending Manager, has been promoted to Vice President of Mortgage and Business Lending. Ms. LaVoie will oversee, manage and direct all aspects of the credit union’s Business Lending and Mortgage Operations. She will develop strategic initiatives, enhance lending policies, and foster relationships with members to drive growth and profitability in the lending portfolio.

  • Jennifer Preston, Internal Auditor, has been promoted to the role of Finance and Analytics Manager. Ms. Preston will be responsible for all areas relating to Reliant’s financial reporting and organizational analytics, developing strategies to effectively analyze data to drive business decisions and organizational operations. She will be accountable for finance-related activities including Asset/Liability Management, budgeting and forecasting activities. 

  • Keri DeNagel, Financial Reporting Supervisor, has been promoted to Internal Audit Manager. Ms. DeNagel will oversee the audit and quality control functions at the credit union. She will be responsible for organizing, planning and conducting audits and ensuring systems are in place to safeguard assets, promote operational efficiency, and encourage compliance with regulatory and internal policies and procedures. 

Retirements

• Reliant Credit Union is pleased to announce organizational changes that will enhance collaboration and help the credit union achieve greater success for its members and its team. Reliant’s current Chief Financial Officer, Brian Benedict, will be retiring in January 2025, after 18 years with the credit union.  Mr. Benedict has been instrumental in shaping the success and growth of Reliant and contributing to the credit union’s financial strength and soundness.  Robert Matuska, Vice President of Finance, has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Matuska will play a pivotal role in maintaining financial stability and ensuring the institution's success. He will be responsible for oversight, strategy, review, analysis and reporting of all Reliant financial and accounting functions.

Appointments

• Velera – formerly PSCU/Co-op Solutions, announced the appointment of Joan Opp, president and CEO of Stanford Federal Credit Union, as a member of its Board of Directors. Opp replaces former Velera board member and previous president and CEO of Alliant Credit Union Dennis Devine.

• FI Works is excited to announce that Angi Milano has joined its advisory board. Angi will work alongside advisors Terry Ammons, Marco Bernasconi, and Jeff Harper to strengthen FI Works’ dedication to innovation and excellence in the FinTech industry.