May 13, 2026

The C-Suite Title You Haven’t Heard Of Until Now

Here’s a fun exercise: try explaining “chief capacity officer” at your next networking event and watch the confused head tilts multiply.

It’s not chief operating officer. It’s not chief strategy officer. And no, it’s not something someone made up after one too many leadership retreats.

It’s a real role with a real purpose—and orsa credit union just created it.

On May 11, 2026, Ben Metzger became orsa’s first-ever chief capacity officer, stepping into a position designed to bridge the gap between big-picture strategy and the unglamorous (but critical) work of actually making things happen. Think of it as the role that answers the question: “Okay, but how are we going to do all this?”

Why This Role Exists

orsa has been serving members across Michigan for 75 years. That’s three-quarters of a century of trust, relationships, and doing right by people. But the next 75 years? Those require something different. The credit union needs to scale its impact without losing the soul that made it orsa in the first place.

That’s where capacity comes in—not just operational bandwidth, but the strategic and human kind too.

“This title is purposeful,” said Tansley Stearns, orsa’s president and CEO. “Ben will help us become even more operationally sound, grow capacity for us to create impact, shape our operations for the next 75 years, and expand our capacity: how we think, how we learn, and how we execute with intention. Ben brings a depth of experience and perspective that will help us do exactly that.”

What a Chief Capacity Officer Actually Does

In Metzger’s case, it means leading the design and execution of orsa’s operational capabilities across the board. He’ll oversee lending and deposit operations, facilities, compliance, risk management, and internal service excellence. The common thread? Building the operational foundation that frees up everyone else to focus on what matters most: serving members.

It’s the connective tissue between “here’s our vision” and “here’s how we’re pulling it off.” Strategy meets execution. Plans meet reality. You get the idea.

The Guy Behind the Title

Metzger isn’t walking into this blind. He’s coming from Canvas Credit Union in Colorado, a $5 billion institution where he served as vice president of strategy and close advisor to the CEO. There, he expanded Canvas’ advocacy program, led year-round strategy sessions with leadership and the board, and kept everyone aligned on what actually mattered.

Before his strategy days, he spent years as legal and compliance counsel at the same credit union (back when it was called Public Service Credit Union). And before that, he was an examiner with the Colorado Division of Banking, specializing in fintech and digital assets—which is a fancy way of saying he knows his way around both the rulebook and the future.

He’s an attorney by training and a strategist by practice. In 2023, he graduated from Western Credit Union Management School with highest honors—only the 10th person in the school’s history to earn that distinction. So yeah, the guy knows his stuff.

Why the Weird Title Works

“I love that the title might make some people scratch their heads—because that reaction is the opportunity to have real conversations about where orsa is going,” Metzger said. “Having recently led credit union strategy, I’ve seen how critical a bold, shared vision is and how rare it is to align and execute well. I see orsa not only doing that, but becoming a leading credit union of the future. The opportunity to lean into that is thrilling to me.”

He added: “I’ve had the privilege of working in many places—from Pizza Hut to the White House—and one thing has always held true: my teammates are the clearest measure of a job’s quality. That principle led me straight to this team. I’m honored to serve alongside them.”

Pizza Hut to the White House. Now that’s a range.

Leaving on Good Terms

Back in Colorado, Chad Shane, president and CEO of Canvas Credit Union, had nothing but good things to say. “Ben Metzger has been a big part of our legal, strategic, and advocacy efforts and his talents have created incredible outcomes,” Shane said. “We celebrate when a leader moves on to grow their career. It’s even more exciting when that person is going to continue to help the credit union industry thrive. We’ll be cheering Ben on!”

That’s the kind of sendoff you get when you’ve genuinely made an impact.

The Bigger Picture

Beyond his day job, Metzger has served on the America’s Credit Unions Advocacy Policy Committee and the Colorado Attorney General’s Council of Advisors on Consumer Credit. He currently serves on the board of the Colorado Affiliate of Future Problem Solving Program International. He also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law.

In other words, he’s been preparing for this kind of role—whether he knew it or not—for a long time.

So the next time someone asks you what a chief capacity officer is, you’ll have an answer. And if they still look confused, just tell them it’s the person who makes sure the big plans don’t stay stuck on a whiteboard. That usually clears things up.