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On Monday, the Rye, N.Y.-based USALLIANCE Federal Credit Union ($2.8 billion in assets, 148,776 members) announced the appointment of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Brett Wheeler as its interim CEO. Wheeler's position became effective on June 2.
Wheeler's new position comes after its former President/CEO Kristin VanBeek left the credit union to become the leader of Rockland Federal Credit Union in Rockland, Mass., in May.
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According to Monday's announcement, the credit union's board of directors named Wheeler to the position to help ensure the organization's continuity during the search for a new President/CEO.
"We are delighted to appoint Brett to the role of Interim CEO," said USALLIANCE Board Chair Carla Palma. "Brett has demonstrated his strong expertise and acumen to lead our organization as we conduct our CEO search. He, along with Executive Vice President Kevin Randall and the leadership team, will continue to guide USALLIANCE and deliver on our commitment to growth, innovation, and member value during this transition period. The Credit Union remains in a tremendous position to grow and prosper under the leadership of Brett and the Executive Team."
Wheeler has been with USALLIANCE for six years and has more than 20 years of experience inside the credit union industry.
In a prepared statement, Wheeler said, "We have an amazing team here at USALLIANCE, and I am honored to serve in this role as Interim CEO. The Executive Team and I have a true passion for the vision and strategy of this organization, and I am excited to guide the organization with Kevin and the rest of the team as we continue our journey with the dozens of exciting initiatives underway to enhance every aspect of the way we serve our members."
Credit union officials said the board will continue its search for a permanent leader throughout the summer.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
