Pamella Easley has been appointedthe new president/CEO of business lending CUSO Business PartnersLLC.

With Easley at the helm, the Chatsworth, Calif.-based CUSO,which was founded and once owned by the defunct Telesis Community Credit Union, also unveiled a strategicgrowth plan focused on improving the company's core business.

Previously, Easley was CEO of the $550 million American FirstCredit Union in La Habra, Calif. Her career experience alsoincludes managing director and senior-executive level positionswithin the banking industry and building and managing multi-billiondollar loan portfolios, according to Business Partners.

The CUSO had been operating under the direction of its threecredit union co-owners prior to Easley's appointment.

“We are getting back to our roots of serving as true partners tothe credit unions and I am encouraged by the growing demand fromborrowers and the credit union industry to grow balance sheetswhere Business Partners can help,” Easley said.

Business Partners Chairman David Maus said Easley “has earned areputation within the industry as an operational and enterpriserisk management expert by successfully leading risk consultingpractices for credit unions, and regional and large-scalebanks.”

Going forward, Easley said the CUSO is focusing on helping itscredit union partners diversify their portfolios beyond residentialand consumer lending options and building products and servicesthat are innovative, sound and aligned to their current financialgoals and business needs.

“Credit unions are expanding their options with respect tobalance sheet diversification,” Easley noted. “Last year's lowinterest rate environment drove demand for residential mortgagesthat placed many credit unions near their portfolio caps.”

She added, “Credit union management and boards of directors willneed to explore financial and risk mitigation strategies byengaging in business loan participation lending, supported by theappropriate risk management infrastructure, internal skills andknowledge, and corporate governance.”

Founded in 1995 by Telesis, for much of 2012, Business Partnershad been operating under the management of the NCUA after theregulator was appointed the conservator of Telesis in March 2012 shortly after the California Departmentof Financial Institutions shuttled the troubled credit union intoconservatorship.

In November 2012, BusinessPartners announced three new principal owners of the CUSO: the$1.3 billion Public Service Employees Credit Union in Denver ofwhich Maus is president/CEO; the $644 million Great Lakes CreditUnion in North Chicago, Ill.; and the $630 million FarmersInsurance Group Federal Credit Union in Los Angeles.

Business Partners has more than a dozen credit unionshareholders and serves more than 150 credit unions nationwide.