The $273 million Northland Area Federal Credit Union in Oscoda,Mich., has honored Jerry Erickson for 45 years of volunteer serviceto the credit union movement. The Northland Area board member hasbeen active in both CUNA affairs and with the Blue Ox Chapter ofthe Michigan Credit Union League (MCUL). He holds a Blue DiamondAward and has served on several volunteer committees.

“Jerry Erickson has always been a trailblazer,” said MCUL BoardChairman Howard Spencer, “and it is my privilege to have enjoyedmany years volunteering by his side.”

Erickson, who was honored at the credit union’s board meetingthis month, said, “I believed then, as I do now, that the servicecredit unions give to their members and their communities isexceptional. Credit union people care about their neighbors, andthat’s why I’ll keep volunteering for as long as they’ll haveme.”

Also among credit union people across the country:

EAST

The $376 million People’s Credit Union ofMiddleton, R.I., appointed John T. Knierim to theposition of executive vice president/chief financial officer.Knierim was previously employed as senior vice president and chieffinancial officer at the $1.1 billion Greylock Federal Credit Unionin Pittsfield, Mass. Prior to Greylock, he was employed as chieffinancial officer at The Nashua Bank. He has experience inliquidity and capital planning and measurement, developingstrategic business plans and strengthening internal controlprocesses.

Knierim attended the State University of New York at Binghamtonwhere he graduated with a B.S. in Economics.

The $780 million St. Mary’s Bank, the nation’sfirst credit union, announced the appointment of JohnKneeland as its residential loan officer. He is based atthe St. Mary’s Bank Mortgage Center in Nashua, N.H. Kneeland hasmore than 10 years’ experience the mortgage banking. He wasco-founder and senior partner of Newpointe Mortgage LLC inLondonderry, N.H., and most recently served as mortgage developmentofficer at Sovereign-Santander Bank in Nashua.

The $270 Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Unionannounced it has promoted Brittany Hilton tosenior marketing associate of the Germantown, Md.-based creditunion. Since joining MAFCU in 2011, Hilton has developed an awardwinning social media strategy, overseen MAFCU’s Small BusinessUniversity, and has rapidly become one of the faces of MAFCU in thecommunity. In her new role, she will be responsible for revisingMAFCU’s product and service offerings, further improving the SmallBusiness University, and establishing an annual MAFCU Spring CashCritters Signature event. Hilton is the youngest board member inGaithersburg Germantown Chamber of Commerce history, and co-chairsthe organization’s Young Professional Group.

MIDWEST

CU America Financial Services, Inc., a CUSOowned by six Illinois credit unions, named JohnOchodnicky as the firm’s new president/CEO. He replacesJerry Haley, who retired Oct. 31.

Ochodnicky has been with CU America for 14 years as a loanofficer, and most recently, as vice president/sales manager. He hasclosed more than 1,200 loans for credit union members and wasrecognized by Chicago Magazine as a Top Mortgage Loan Officer in2012 and 2013.

Haley’s credit union career spanned 26 years, and includedpositions with USA One Credit Union, CUNA Mutual and CUAmerica.

SOUTH

The $680 million DATCU of Denton, Texas, hasnamed Janice Sheppard as the credit union’s seniorvice president of real estate.

Sheppard brings more than twenty five years of experience in thefinancial sector to her new position. She joins DATCU from the $302million Southwest Airlines Federal Credit Union of Dallas, whereshe served the last 12 years as the senior vice president ofmortgage lending and compliance.

Sheppard’s professional achievements include president of theTexas Credit Union Real Estate Network, Chairman’s AchievementAward, and American Credit Union Mortgage Association MembershipAward.

Ron Dinwiddie, whose information technologycareer spans four decades, has been named chief information officerat the $796 million Texas Trust Credit Union ofMansfield, Texas. Dinwiddie is responsible for all the IToperations of Texas Trust, as well as for its Trust Data Systemssubsidiary.

Following 22 years of service in the U.S. Navy, where he was adata processing master chief and command master chief, Dinwiddieheld executive positions in banks and credit unions, most recentlyas senior vice president of IT with the $487 Houston Federal CreditUnion. He previously worked with Statewide Bank and MidwestIndependent Bank, an institution that served more than 450community banks in three states. He started his post-Navy career atLucent Technologies, followed by Sprint and Temple-Inland ForestProducts, before moving into the banking industry.

Dr. Dorothy J. Orr, Chairperson of the Board ofDirectors of the $423 million BrightStar CreditUnion of Sunrise, Fla., was awarded the 2013 LifetimeAchievement Award from the Broward Education Foundation.

Orr has served on BrightStar’s board for more than 24 years. Sheis a strong advocate for education and has held a variety ofpositions in teaching and school administration, culminating in her1999 appointment as Superintendent of Schools for Broward County, aposition she held until her retirement. Orr was appointed by theschool board as the first black female board member of the BrowardTeachers Credit Union.

Orr holds a bachelor of science degree from Florida A&MUniversity, a master of arts degree from the University ofMichigan, and a doctorate of education from Nova SoutheasternUniversity. She is also an adjunct Professor at Florida AtlanticUniversity.