Three credit unions, including LAFCU and Robins Financial Credit Union announced new additions to their teams, and Corporate Central Credit Union announced its Board of Directors at its 44th Annual Meeting.
New Hires:
- LAFCU has welcomed Samip Patel and Michael Richards to its team, reinforcing the credit union’s commitment to providing exceptional mortgage solutions. Patel and Richards will bring their expertise and personalized approach to helping members achieve their homeownership goals. By building strong relationships and offering tailored mortgage solutions, they will make the home-buying process more accessible and straightforward for members. Their efforts will support the community by ensuring that more individuals and families can access the resources they need to secure homes and build long-term financial stability.
- Robins Financial announces Chris Heape as the new Vice President of Support Operations. In this new role, Heape will improve processes, innovate for members, and foster an environment of collaboration while ensuring alignment with the mission and goals of Robins Financial.
- Wescom Financial announced the appointment of Cristobel von Walstrom as the new Vice President of Payment Systems. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the Card Services, Electronic Services, and Account Services departments. Cristobel, who has over 25 years of experience under her belt in the financial services space, most notably served for over a decade as vice president at MasterCard, where she oversaw its credit and payment divisions. She has also led strategic payment initiatives for fintech and Fortune 1000 companies as a senior consultant with Retail Payments Global Consulting Group, as well as having served as Vice President of Payment Networks and Strategic Partnerships at Synchrony, a diversified financial services company.
Promotions:
- Coastal Credit Union announced that Ewelina Caplap has been appointed to Vice President of Coastal Wealth Management, available through CFS*. This aligns with the expanded opportunities that lie ahead with the program’s upcoming conversion to LPL Financial LLC. In her role, Caplap oversees the management and award-winning performance of Coastal’s program and drives its strategic initiatives.
Appointments:
- Corporate Central held its 44th Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 8, at the Kalahari Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells, WI, in conjunction with The Wisconsin Credit Union League’s Annual Convention & Exposition. The event brought together member credit union leaders from across the region, both in person and via a live stream on YouTube, to reflect on the past year and look toward the future of the credit union movement. Corporate Central also announced its 2025–2026 board of directors and executive committee:
- Executive Committee:
- Chair: Val Mindak, Park City Credit Union
- Vice Chair: Sue Johnson, Fort Community Credit Union
- Secretary: Steve Koenen, Altra Federal Credit Union
- Treasurer: Chris Allen, Fox Communities Credit Union
- Board of Directors:
- Laurie Butz, Capital Credit Union
- Angela Hanson, Heartland Credit Union
- Daniel Ige, “Golden Rule” Community Credit Union
- Jay Magulski, Landmark Credit Union
- Charlie Zanayed, CoVantage Credit Union
- Executive Committee:
- PenAir Credit Union (PenAir) is proud to announce the election of Stephanie Oram as Chair of the Board of Directors, marking a historic milestone as the first woman to hold the position in the credit union’s 89-year history. Oram, who previously served as Vice Chair, was elected by her fellow board members to succeed Robert (Bob) Jacobson. After six years of distinguished leadership as Chair, Jacobson will continue to serve on the board.