Royal Credit Union announced 6 new employees, Tower Federal Credit Union announced the promotion of a new Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer and Allied Payment Network excitedly announces the addition of fintech pioneer to their Board of Directors.

New Hires

• Royal Credit Union announced Caitlin Drier as Manager of Consumer Loan Underwriting. In this position, Drier is responsible for the management and oversight of the consumer loan underwriting department and portfolio which includes all consumer lending products and channels. Drier will represent the financial interests of Members and the credit union and play a strategic role in the organization regarding credit decisions, goal setting and delivery and organization success.

• Royal Credit Union has named Jack Livingston and Morgan Lecheler as the new Royal Credit Union Young Professional Credit Union Activists. Royal launched the YP CU Activist program in 2019 as a way to strengthen the credit union movement and amplify the voice of young professionals. The YP CU Activists will serve from August 2023 through July 2024 and will work to share the credit union difference with policymakers at key advocacy events. Livingston will represent Royal at Minnesota advocacy events and Lecheler will participate in Wisconsin advocacy efforts. 

• Royal Credit Union announces Meghan Cernohous as the Branch Manager II in Stillwater, Minnesota. Cernohous’s responsibilities include meeting with Members to help them reach financial goals, hiring and training high impact talent that represent Royal’s core values, and managing branch operations.

• Allied Payment Network is thrilled to announce the addition of Kathi Klawitter to our leadership team as Chief Operating Officer. Kathi will steer all operating strategies to fuel new business development, client retention, product development and performance optimization. A deeply experienced fintech leader with a client-first mentality, Kathi has worked with community financial institutions her entire career, affording her the knowledge of what it takes to nurture and grow those customer relationships.

• Royal Credit Union announces Sarah Schaekel as Branch Manager II in Edina, Minnesota. Schaekel’s responsibilities include meeting with Members to help them reach financial goals, hiring and training high impact talent that represent Royal’s core values, and managing branch operations.

• United Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce the appointment of Joy Cluff to Mortgage Advisor in St. Joseph. Cluff will use her expertise to provide a quality real estate lending experience through financial counseling and product awareness to credit union members regarding their real estate financing needs and generate investment quality mortgage loans.

• Chris Meyer has been named Royal Credit Union’s Vice President of IT Solutions and Development. In this role, Meyer is responsible for leading Royal’s Business Process Improvement Analysts and Project Management teams in delivering solutions to improve the operational efficiency of the credit union for its Members and team members.

• Sooper Credit Union is pleased to announce the appointment of Iain McHenry as Senior Vice President of Lending.  “I wholeheartedly subscribe to the ‘people helping people’ mentality,” says McHenry. “My success is a direct result of the individuals I’ve been fortunate to work with."

• People’s Credit Union has appointed Tim Jermain as Head of Lending, responsible for all related operations, activities, and products and services of the Credit Union’s commercial, mortgage, and consumer lending teams. He will serve as a key member of the senior leadership team, collaborating on the strategic direction for the Credit Union, and report to Sean Daly, Head of People’s Credit Union.

• Royal Credit Union announces Josh Odegard as Regional Director of Branch Operations – St. Croix Valley. In this role, Odegard is responsible for leading branch managers and their teams to achieve their strategic and growth goals and guiding operations of Royal's offices throughout the St. Croix Valley region.

Promotions

•  Tower Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce the promotion of Jay Russell as its new Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer (SVP/CIO). “We are excited to welcome Jay to our senior management team,” says Rick Stafford, Tower’s President & CEO. “He has an exceptional track record spanning more than 30 years in the technology industry, including 15 years of focused expertise in the financial services sector. He brings a wealth of experience and strategic vision to Tower’s leadership.”

Appointments

• Allied Payment Network excitedly announces the addition of fintech pioneer and advisor Mark Forbis to their Board of Directors. As a highly respected technology leader, Mark brings valuable expertise and insight that will help us build on our position as the premier digital payments solution for community financial institutions.