The Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions, 2022

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The credit union industry is, at its heart, one of the most diverse in financial services. Each institution caters to its own demographic, ranging from specific underserved communities as small as a single county to the full global scale of the U.S. armed forces.

In its inaugural Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions listing, American Banker is proud to share the stories of 25 of the women leading the credit union industry through times of rapid and unprecedented change. 

The women leading many of these organizations are ensuring they have a culture of inclusion, not only within their ranks but in how they serve their members. At Navy Federal Credit Union, the world's largest credit union at $156.5 billion of assets, 65% of employees and 60% of management — including its chief executive, Mary McDuffie — are women. 

"Being a woman at Navy Federal has never felt like a barrier. I've always had ample opportunities for advancement and being named CEO is a testament to the culture we've built here," McDuffie said.

It's also crucial for these organizations to be at the forefront of technology development, enabling them to better serve an increasingly digital market, as well as to maintain relationships with members who may move beyond the reach of their branches.

Alliant Credit Union, a $16 billion-asset credit union based in Chicago, lobbied for a change in its state's legislation to allow credit unions to invest in fintechs, and then took a stake in partners such as Payrailz (now part of Jack Henry & Associates).  "Now that Alliant has an equity stake with these partners, we have direct engagement and influence with leadership," said Meredith Ritchie, senior vice president, general counsel and chief ethics and government affairs officer for Alliant.

Even smaller credit unions can have a big impact. Winona Nava, president and CEO of Guadalupe Credit Union, a $266 million-asset institution in Santa Fe, made the bold move over 20 years ago to initiate individual taxpayer identification number lending to expand financial access to local residents who lacked other documentation (the Internal Revenue Service issues an ITIN to people regardless of immigration status to allow them to meet their tax obligations).

"Some staff and credit union members weren't open to the change and some resigned," Nava said. But Nava persisted, finding bicultural residents to fill positions and providing cultural sensitivity training to staffers. This enabled the credit union to open a new branch in an area with a high immigrant population — and to outgrow that branch in just 18 months. 

"Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, no matter what choices they have made in their life, where they came from, or any other obstacles they face," Nava said.

It's a philosophy shared throughout the credit union industry, as evidenced by the stories each of this year's honorees has shared.

All asset sizes are the latest available from the National Credit Union Administration as of November 4.

Profiles below written by John Adams, Kate Fitzgerald, Frank Gargano and Ken McCarthy. Introduction by Daniel Wolfe.

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Mary McDuffie

President and CEO
Navy Federal Credit Union
Vienna, Virginia 
Assets: $156.5 billion
Time in current role: 3 years
Time in credit union industry: 23 years 

Heavy rotation: Since half of Navy Federal Credit Union's members are Generation Z and millenials, the institution in the past year began rotating senior executives into new business units to provide different perspectives and opportunities for new talent. That process has brought in new executives in several areas, including Rear Adm. Dietrich Kuhlmann as Chief Operating Officer; and new senior positions in open banking, money movement management and real estate lending. "Our leadership must juggle high-touch service with rapid technology development and deployment," McDuffie said. 

Gaining an understanding. Navy Federal outperforms most financial institutions in gender diversity — more than 65% of its employees and 60% of its management team are women. The credit union also frequently hires spouses of active duty members and veterans. Navy spouses "have a depth of understanding of our members and their lifestyles that only enhances our service," McDuffie said.

Read more: The woman at the helm of the world's largest credit union
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McGillan, Amy

Amy McGillan

Senior Vice President, Operations
PenFed Credit Union
Omaha, Nebraska
Assets: $35.9 billion 
Time in current role: 3 years
Time in credit union industry: 23 years 

Shifting gears. The dramatic change in the economy required a quick pivot, and that meant moving sales teams from auto loan follow-up calls to securing deposit dollars. Training teams took advantage of the lull in lending to update phone representatives, providing options for career growth. "We've renewed the focus on career pathing, moving away from the push to onboard as many agents as possible," McGillan said. 

No limits. McGillan started at PenFed as a call center member service representative in 1999, working her way up over the next two decades, becoming a senior vice president in 2019. "I feel incredibly lucky to know firsthand each stage of employee development," she said. "My primary mission is to develop my team to be the best version of themselves possible and to serve as an example that there are no limits to what they can achieve."
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Kelly Robbins Photo & Film

Fumbi Chima

Executive Vice President, Chief Technology and Transformation Officer
BECU
Tukwila, Washington
Assets: $29.2 billion
Time in role: 2 years
Time in credit union industry: 2 years 

On target. Over the past year, Chima has been part of an initiative that is transforming the entire company — including technology development, corporate culture and the credit union's ways of working. That role has included developing criteria for success and designing BECU's target operating model for small businesses in less than one year. "The biggest challenge is implementing such a change across BECU. Change can be hard, but it's also exciting, groundbreaking and transformational," Chima said. "And change is really about people. It's bringing people along on the journey. … We have to build intuitive solutions so people can clearly see the value and understand the 'why' behind the change." 

Making a mark. Chima has been chief information development officer for several organizations, including Adidas. She has also been chief information officer at Burberry, Fox Network Group, Walmart's Asia business operations, and American Express' Global Corporate Technologies. She is also a board member for several publicly listed companies, including Whitbread, Ted Baker and Azek Company.

Read more: How a former Adidas exec is transforming BECU
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Rudy Meyers Photographie

Donna Bland

President and CEO
Golden 1 Credit Union
Sacramento, California
Assets: $18.3 billion
Time in role: 12 years
Time in credit union industry: 28 years

Rise to the top. Golden 1 Credit Union President and CEO Donna Bland began her career in finance with a love of math and an entry-level position as a bank teller during college. Today she's recognized as one of only three women CEOs leading a top-10 credit union in the United States. Under her leadership, Golden 1 has grown to over $18 billion of assets and over 1 million members. Founded in 1933, Golden 1 is the 6th largest credit union in the nation and has more than 2,000 employees.

Golden opportunity. Bland is deeply committed to ensuring Golden 1 and its employees give back to the communities they serve. She has brought structure and heightened focus to the corporate giving program for nearly a decade. In her tenure, she formalized the community outreach arm of Golden 1, making sure the company's philanthropy is strategic and sustained. Under this approach, Golden 1's community giving has continued to grow.
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Brian Kelly

Sandy Jelinski

President and CEO
Lake Michigan Credit Union
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Assets: $11.8 billion
Time in current role: 22 years
Time in credit union industry: 40+ years

Accelerator. Lake Michigan drove steady, steep growth since the last major economic downturn by responding to opportunities. Adding a mortgage department helped expand assets from $1.8 billion in 2008 to more than $11 billion this year. Another key was recognizing a decade ago that expanding to Florida represented a tremendous opportunity because many Michigan members had a second home there or were moving to Florida. After years of expansion, 22% of the Great Lakes-area institution's 62 branches are now located in the Sunshine State.

Leaning in. The art of attracting and retaining workers at a time when staffing is tough requires creating a positive culture where gossip is discouraged, according to Jelinski. "Fundamental to this is treating people with respect," she said. Relying on tight teamwork, she aims to deal with any potential slowdown in mortgage demand due to rising interest by diversifying revenue sources. "We're intensifying our efforts with our other lending engines — commercial and consumer," she said.
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Ken Hansen

Teresa Campbell

President and CEO
San Diego County Credit Union
San Diego, California
Assets: $11.5 billion
Time in role: 12 years
Time in credit union industry: 25+ years

Regional powerhouse. During the dozen years Campbell has led SDCCU, both its assets and membership have more than doubled, now reaching nearly a half-million people. Honored last year as San Diego Business Woman of the Year, she routinely racks up honors and awards by driving consistent growth with 900 employees across 43 branch locations in Southern California. "Over the past year we've continued to seek strong talent despite the labor market challenges, setting expectations for what is best for the consumers we serve."

Strategic thinker. Serving on numerous industry and regulatory committees deepens Campbell's insights and helps drive her strategy during a time of economic challenges. "The biggest challenge we're facing next is navigating the economy as the Fed continues to raise rates. Similarly, external pressures dictating financial institutions' business practices will continue to drive consolidation across the industry," Campbell said.
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Meredith Ritchie

Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Ethics and Government Affairs Officer
Alliant Credit Union 
Chicago, Illinois
Assets: $18 billion
Time in role: 15 years
Time in credit union industry: 2 years 

In the lobby.  Ritchie led the credit union's government affairs team as it worked with the Illinois Credit Union League to amend the state's Credit Union Act to allow credit unions to invest in fintechs. One recent partnership with PayRailz created a profit for Alliant members after Payrailz was sold to Jack Henry. "Now that Alliant has an equity stake with these partners, we have direct engagement and influence with leadership," Ritchie said. "This has shaped member strategy, risk management, digital backlog prioritization, and accelerated delivery to Alliant members." 

Working together. Because credit unions are often smaller than most banks, there can be more opportunities for women. "Credit unions tend to be more collaborative both internally and externally than banks," Ritchie said, adding women stereotypically tend to be skilled at collaboration, sharing ideas, working toward a common goal and wanting others to succeed. "This presents greater opportunity for women to seek appointments to credit union boards."
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Marsha Wolff

Chief Human Resource/Information Officer
GreenState Credit Union
North Liberty, Iowa
Asset Size: $11.2 billion 
Time in role: 4 years
Time in credit union industry: 4 years 

Keeping talent. "2022 has been a record year for staff resigning," said Wolff. "I can't say I or we have resolved it. However, we did implement a few items that I believe keep employees wanting to stay with an employer." That includes creating a leadership development program that includes monthly training and access to top leaders, adjustments to compensation to be at or above market, an agreement with LinkedIn Learning to offer career development and implementing a hybrid work-from-home policy. The credit union has also increased its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. "As a result, GreenState has become a stronger organization with an enhanced sense of openness, respect and caring for each other and those we serve," Wolff  said. 

Taking care. "I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast Cancer in August of this year. Personally, for me this may be my biggest challenge not only this year but ever," Wolff said. "I will win this battle. I am a go-getter and like to give my best every day, I come to work to serve the employees. Taking the time to take care of myself is not in my DNA and will definitely be a challenge."
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Shruti Miyashiro

President and CEO
Digital Federal Credit Union
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Assets: $9.9 billion
Time in current role: 4 months
Time in credit union industry: 25

360-degree vision. A serial credit union leader, Miyashiro this year switched from the west to the east coast, taking over as CEO of Digital Credit Union from the same role at Orange County's Credit Union in California. Active on numerous civic and financial services boards — including the board of Jack Henry & Associates — Miyashiro encourages other women to get involved.

Stronger together. Digital technology has transformed the ecosystem so traditional banks are no longer at the center of banking — instead it's about making things simpler for the consumer. Navigating through these challenges is exciting and challenging, with many opportunities for women. "As female leaders, it is important that we confidently bring both parts of our head and heart into the decision-making process. Not only is there room for both, but it is equally imperative to bring our authentic selves to work and empower our team members to do the same," Miyashiro said. 
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Erin Mendez

President and CEO
Patelco Credit Union
Dublin, California
Assets: $9 billion 
Time in role: 9 years
Time in credit union industry: 30 years 

Running up the score. Patelco recently rolled out two features to lean into changes in financial technology and credit. The Patelco Virtual Branch combines services consistent with an in-person branch visit, but in an online channel and in real time. A second product, ScoreUp Credit Builder, allows members to establish a monthly payment program while building a savings account. In the first three months, more than 1,200 members used that tool with an average 68% increase in their FICO scores. 

Stagnation. While there are women in executive C-suite positions in credit unions, that representation is not expanding into larger asset sizes at a significant rate, according to Mendez, adding she is hopeful this will improve in the next 10 years given the growing societal awareness of the importance of diversity at the board level. The credit union industry is not particularly different from other financial services providers in how it does or does not create opportunities for women, Mendez said. Each board members' views and actions regarding diversity and gender representation impact how the institution as a whole operates. The Patelco Credit Union Board believes it is essential to create diversity and opportunities and be open to feedback regarding changes that need to be implemented.
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Dave Trumpie-Trumpie Photography

April Clobes

President and CEO
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
East Lansing, Michigan
Assets: $6.9 billion
Time in role: 7 years
Time in credit union industry: 26 years 

Off campus. The credit union has launched a pair of digital brands designed to improve connections to fintechs and reach members who aren't near a branch:
  • AlumniFi serves Michigan State University alumni who live throughout the U.S. and are not near a branch. It offers checking, debit, high-yield savings accounts and connections to fintech partners such as student debt firm ChangED, charitable giving company Spave and financial advice firm Pocketnest. 
  • A second brand, Collegiate, serves additional universities in Michigan that wish to partner with MSUFCU but wanted to provide students the ability to have their own university-affiliated credit union. "This digital-only account will feature products designed to help younger members learn budgeting, building credit, and payments," Clobes said, adding Collegiate signed its first university partner, Olivet College, in 2022. 

Next gen. Clobes has participated in the 1-to-1 Woman program, an African American Credit Union Coalition-supported initiative, as a mentor. "The credit union industry tends to have more female employees due to the co-operative nature of the mission of the industry. Many women are managers in the industry," Clobes said. "And, through a variety of credit union-specific programs for management training, mentorship, etc., women have opportunities to advance through to the CEO."
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Kyle Cooper

Kathy Jumper

Chief Retail Officer
Members 1st Federal Credit Union
Enola, Pennsylvania
Assets: $6.8 billion
Time in role: 5 years
Time in credit union industry: 25 years 

Blank sheet. In 2022 Jumper was charged with building a digital engagement team to add automated options for payments, new business and artificial intelligence-driven customer interactions as the credit union marked its 72nd anniversary. "We needed to start with a blank sheet of paper to create a digital journey," Jumper said. "This was challenging in many ways as we needed to tackle our outdated ways of working." The payoff has improved product delivery and member experience, according to Jumper. "Our membership can now use digital avenues for opening accounts and much of their service."

When women win. With a career that spans more than a quarter century, Jumper has worked on business strategy, organizational development and profit and loss responsibility. She regularly speaks at Contact Center Week and Branch of the Future conferences, discussing topics such as "scaling a contact center without sacrificing member experience" and "what happens when women win." 

"Ten years ago, we weren't even having the conversation about gender diversity," Jumper said. "Today we are, and the conversation has led to ideas and innovative practices. These discussions have led to action."
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Diane Maehl

Carla Cicero

President and CEO
Numerica Credit Union
Spokane Valley, Washington
Assets: $3.6 billion
Time in role: 11 years
Time in credit union industry: 35 years 

They were wrong. When Cicero first starting in the credit union industry, "I was told women don't become CEOs," said Cicero, who has been CEO of two credit unions — having been president and CEO of CitizensFirst (now Verve) Credit Union in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, before coming to Numerica. Cicero is part of the Women's Leadership Symposium, which shares best practices and policies to advance women. "I have increased hope that we will continue to see women take the helm of larger credit unions due to efforts of adding more women to credit union boards," Cicero said. "When I joined Numerica, there was one woman on our board. Under my leadership we have four."

Time for a change.  With inflation, supply-chain interruptions and rising interest rates, it became clear that the credit union needed a strategic reboot, Cicero said. She activated an executive leadership stakeholder group to assess all business lines, and developed a plan to refocus that made financial sense in a downturn. The credit union has also updated its metrics for projects and reduced the number of committees to sharpen focus "Our efforts included an internal communication plan to ensure the team knew the conditions we were seeing and our plans," Cicero said. "The team's trust, preparation and ability to pivot is what keeps Numerica resilient."
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Dolores Broeske

President and CEO
HAPO Community Credit Union
Richland, Washington
Assets: $2.3 billion
Time in role: 2 years
Time in credit union industry: 24 years 

Survey class. HAPO was not exempt from the Great Resignation, experiencing a higher rate of turnover in the past year. HAPO gained invaluable insight through monthly employee surveys that asked staff what they needed, wanted and expected from the credit union as their employer. HAPO launched a program designed to encourage HAPO loyalty and a deeper connection to its culture, identifying employee desires, and supporting safety, wellness and mental health. "Through continual people-focused business strategies, we have not only experienced significant financial success, but year-to-date have less employees leaving the organization and overall turnover rates have declined," Broeske said. 

More than a title. Ten years ago, women CEOs were often found to be running only small credit unions and earning less than their male counterparts, according to Broeske, who said HAPO's executive team currently has seven positions, five of which are held by women. And more than 70% of the management team are women and 72% of HAPO's total workforce is made up of women. "Women offer a unique perspective to business and genuinely want to be a part of something bigger than just achieving a title at the end of the day," Broeske said. "Women understand the differences in communication styles, they rally around change, and they bring teams together through collaboration and fostering innovation."
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Peggy Esparza

Chief Financial Officer
Texas Trust Credit Union
Arlington, Texas 
Assets: $2 billion 
Time in role: 1 year
Time in credit union industry: 27 years 

Quick study. Esparza became chief financial officer with no transition time when the credit union's previous CFO took leave. "I was already overseeing the implementation of a new budgeting system as we entered a second pandemic year," said Esparza, who entered the workforce 27 years ago with, in her words, "no professional ambition or desire to attend college" — and has since become CFO with a master's degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. Esparza's initial focus as CFO was to maintain cohesiveness among the team and the credit union's mission without losing momentum. 

"The executives were highly supportive of my input regarding strategic financial direction that helped us achieve outstanding growth in all categories in 2021," Esperza said. "After eight months in an interim capacity, my role of CFO became permanent."

More in the room. "I've experienced and witnessed more upward mobility of women in credit unions in the last 10-12 years. At Texas Trust we currently have two women in the C-suite and a number of them in senior roles. Across the board there is clearly more diversification, for women and for minorities" said Esparza, who learned finance and accounting while working full-time and raising two children. "For credit unions to become employers of choice and continue to diversify their talent, more women will need to become prominent in leadership roles. This will likely be a natural progression in the next decade given today's focus on DEI and women's influence in the workplace."
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Karrie Drobnick

Chief Operating Officer
Verve, a Credit Union
Oshkosh, Wisconsin 
Assets: $1.5 billion
Time in role: 7 months
Time in credit union industry: 8 years 

Getting larger. Since joining the credit union in 2014 as vice president of marketing, Drobnick led the formation of the Verve name and brand and became a key driver in Verve's growth strategy, including the integration of mergers and acquisitions that led to rapid growth. She helped guide the organization through a series of deals, including the recent acquisition of South Central Bank, which expanded Verve's footprint into the Chicago market. This effort resulted in more than 279% growth in asset size (from $395 million to $1.5 billion as of the first quarter of 2022), with 56% coming as a result of the mergers and the other 44% due to organic growth attributed to marketing and customer service gains. 

New role. Drobnick was promoted to COO in May, a new role that meant a new mix of teams that she would be responsible for. As part of the adjustment, she asked for quarterly business reviews that provide team leaders opportunities to collaborate with staff and the C-suite leaders. 

"The quarterly business reviews have improved our ability to keep a pulse on what's important to our people in their daily work, as well as allocate resources to solve otherwise hidden issues," Drobnick said. "The end result has been accelerated progress, innovation and problem solving within our teams."
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Mike Mertes

Karen Roch

President and CEO
Credit Union West
Glendale, Arizona 
Assets: $1.1 Billion
Time in role: 3 years, 10 months
Time in industry: 34 years

Satisfaction guaranteed. Improving the quality of member service at Credit Union West for Roch meant first improving conditions for its staff. This was accomplished through raising the minimum wage to $20 per hour and instituting programs such as employee and family zoo day, anniversary day off, everyday jeans dress code and other creative initiatives.

There's no place like home. Despite concerns from management over how to oversee staff in a remote environment, Roch incorporated frameworks for workplace flexibility that included telework opportunities and gave the credit union an edge when navigating the search for new talent "that wouldn't normally have an interest due to scheduling issues, drive time or having a preference to work from home," she said.
Lucy Michel

Lucy Michel

Vice President of Legal Operations
Credit Union 1
Rantoul, Illinois
Assets: $1.4 Billion
Time in role: 1 year, 10 months
Time in credit union industry: 19 years

Automate to innovate. Last year, Michel implemented a program designed to automate the handling of subpoenas, document requests, account garnishments, levies and other high-volume, routinely served documents. The new system saw the credit union reduce the amount of paper used and cut down on friction throughout interactions with members.

The sky's the limit. Beginning her tenure in the credit union industry as a teller more than 19 years ago, and working her way up to an executive appointment last year, Michel stressed that "current leaders are the ones that make these opportunities for us. I believe that it is up for us as leaders now to continue to be open to gender diversity in the years to come because it will be our children that will become the next leaders."
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Lynnette Steen

Simone Suri

Chief Legal and Risk Officer
Members Cooperative Credit Union
Duluth, Minnesota
Assets: $1.1 billion
Time in role: 12 years
Time in credit union industry: 20 years

Industry advocate. After working with financial services clients at a law firm early in her career as an attorney, Suri in 2006 became general counsel for the Minnesota Credit Union Network. In 2010, she left to run legal and risk operations for Members Cooperative, while keeping active in statewide industry issues by participating in NAFCU and CUNA committees on strategy and compliance. "Over the past year I've become increasingly involved with advocacy and governmental affairs while continuing in my role as chief legal and risk officer," she said.

People power. Even before working in the credit union industry, Suri had long grasped how membership-based institutions make a difference in society. "Credit unions are in a unique position to ensure diversity through leadership, and more. With a strong sense of purpose and a people-helping-people philosophy, diversity and inclusion are at the root of what credit unions are and why we exist," Suri said.
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Amey Sgrignoli

President and CEO
Belco Community Credit Union
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Assets: $917 million
Time in role: 8 years
Time in credit union industry: 18 years

Forward-looking. For a credit union established in 1939 to serve Bell Telephone Co. employees, Belco aims to be on the cutting edge of modern. Sgrignoli, who was hired in 2004 after holding various roles at banks, credits a focus on technology for years of steady growth at Belco. With 15 branches now in seven counties, 250 employees and membership exceeding 73,500, Sgrignoli aims to reach $1 billion of assets by 2025. Belco will be targeting young adults with families, and the credit union has a growing cadre of bilingual employees to meet its expanding Spanish-speaking audience.

Cool to be kind. Sgrignoli serves on the boards of CUNA and a local credit union association, and works on many committees, but she concentrates most on creating a positive culture for employees and customers. Certain pandemic modifications stuck. 

"Curbside banking for the elderly, medically fragile and moms with toddlers is here to stay," she said. The credit union's employee behavioral values include humility, accountability, learning and ensuring that "kindness is cool," inspired by an internal book club selection of Joe Bertotto's "Pick Up the Gum Wrapper," about creating a positive workplace culture. "We stepped away from the traditional model based only on job performance, and ask our team to focus on building good internal actions with each other," Sgrignoli said.
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Susan Williams

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
WeStreet Credit Union
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Assets: $930 million
Time in role: 10 years
Time in credit union industry: 13 years

Innovator. Williams learned how to solve complex problems in past roles in a variety of finance jobs at banks — and one other credit union — before joining WeStreet a decade ago. She put those skills to the test over the last year, leading the credit union's move into the less-common area of issuing secondary capital (subordinated debt). The option, available to low income-designated credit unions, required deep research, educating the board and creating new policies. It paid off. "We placed $10 million in capital to invest in infrastructure to support affordable housing in the Tulsa area," she said.

Making room. In the last decade, Williams has seen opportunities for women at credit unions expand, particularly on the revenue-generating side in lending and leadership. "Business owners are becoming more used to dealing with both male and female loan officers," said Williams. Ten years from now, she expects to see more women as credit union CEOs, especially as the current batch of leaders nears retirement. 

Williams is contemplating her own next chapter in retirement. While looking forward to more time for skiing, cycling and hiking — and volunteering as a board member for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma — Williams hopes to see other women moving up when she leaves. "I need to find a way to give back once I've retired."
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Stephanie Sievers

CEO
AltaOne Federal Credit Union
Ridgecrest, California
Assets: $794 million
Time in role: 18 months
Time in credit union industry: 15

Not her first rodeo. This is Sievers' fifth time serving as a credit union CEO in a fast-paced career that has included teaching and consulting, giving her the aura of a turnaround expert.

"I had to improve the company quickly," she said of her arrival last year after a longtime CEO retired. Sievers recruited executives, purchased loan participations and brought rank-and-file staff members into C-suite strategy planning sessions as she reorganized the credit union and updated its products. "Our lending, deposits and membership are now positive, and turnover is down," Sievers said.

Leveling up. AltaOne, which has 13 locations in nine California cities, is the only credit union in several rural communities Sievers describes as "financial deserts." Recently becoming CDFI-certified creates another path to growth. 

"Now our mission is to improve the inequities that exist in income, wealth and access to financial solutions," Sievers said. It's a tough job that requires being on the road a lot, but Sievers, who has four children and a minivan, is used to it. The high number of women who support each other in the credit union industry makes it easier, she said. In her spare time, Sievers plans to start a financial podcast, confident she can balance it all, noting: "I've been a credit union CEO for longer than I've been a mother."
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Charlyn Tanner

President
Dutch Point Credit Union
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Assets: $456 million
Time in role: 10 months
Time in credit union industry: 22 years

Climbing the ladder. Trained as a certified public accountant, Charlyn Tanner knew nothing about financial services when she was hired as operations manager of a small Connecticut credit union in 2000. A few years later she moved to Dutch Point and rose to chief financial officer and after 17 years in that role was appointed president this year, putting her in line to be the next CEO. 

"Making cultural shifts within the organization without appearing to be disrespectful to the outgoing CEO has been a challenge," she said. She's navigated it with frequent, honest discussions and mutual respect of each other's accomplishments.

Footwork first. Women wanting to rise in credit union leadership should share stories of success and failure, "because how we react to failure truly defines the type of leader we will become." Running races, hitting the beach with her husband and daughter and ballroom dancing are vital outlets to offset the intensity of Tanner's work. "Dancing has so many benefits — it reduces stress, enhances your memory and builds social connections," she said. Next year, when Tanner expects to become CEO, she plans to transform the credit union's branch and back-office infrastructure. "We're agile," she said.
Winona Nava
Frank Gargano

Winona Nava

President and CEO
Guadalupe Credit Union
Assets: $271 million
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Time in current role: 31 years
Time in credit union industry: 44 years

To the rescue. Hired as a collector at State Employees Credit Union Santa Fe in 1978, Nava embraced every opportunity to learn new skills and advance, working her way up the ladder over more than a dozen years to executive vice president. In 1991, Nava learned that Guadalupe Credit Union was teetering on the verge of closure with slightly over $10 million of assets. She saw an opportunity to turn the beleaguered institution around and stepped in as CEO.

Nava's next big challenge will be one of her hardest: She's retiring at the end of 2023.

Making change. Over 20 years ago, Nava made the bold move to initiate individual taxpayer identification number lending to expand financial access to local residents who lacked other documentation (the Internal Revenue Service issues an ITIN to people regardless of immigration status to allow them to meet their tax obligations). It was difficult to implement ITIN lending, Nava recalls. "Some staff and credit union members weren't open to the change and some resigned," she said. But Nava persisted, finding bicultural residents to fill positions and providing cultural sensitivity training to staffers to maximize financial inclusion.

Read more: She gave immigrants respect. They gave her credit union new life.
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Tammy Passafiume

President and CEO
Diamond Lakes Federal Credit Union
Malvern, Arkansas
Assets: $86 million
Time in role: 8 years
Time in credit union industry: 33 years

Rising to the occasion. Hired by a credit union as a teller while selling them insurance more than three decades ago, Passafiume quickly became a believer in credit union culture. She was appointed CEO at her hometown credit union in Arkansas when the previous chief walked off the job. Nine years later, the opportunity to become CEO of Diamond Lakes opened up, and Passafiume had accumulated extensive training and experience. Today she can pinch-hit in any job if necessary, and serves on many local and industry committees when she isn't jogging around the area with her local running club. 

Enthusiast. As one of the founding members of the Credit Union Women's Leadership Alliance, Passafiume mentors other women and spreads her passion for an industry she believes offers unique benefits for women. The pandemic has caused a range of credit union executives to retire, and Passafiume sees it as a first-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many women to move into senior leadership positions. Fast-track careers at credit unions can be found in information technology, operations and lending. "Get promoted early in your career," she advises.
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