Wendy Cleveland
The Board of Directors for the $1.2 billion, San Antonio, Texas-based Firstmark Credit Union selected Wendy Cleveland as its next president/CEO, the credit union announced Thursday.
She succeeds Nathanael Tarwasokono, who resigned from the CEO role in January 2024 to become president/CEO of the $2.3 billion Allegacy Federal Credit Union in Winston Salem, N.C. Firstmark executive Gregg Thorne served as interim CEO upon Tarwasokono’s departure.
Cleveland, who most recently served as EVP and COO at the $3.1 billion, Tacoma, Wash.-based Sound Credit Union beginning in 2018, will officially become Firstmark’s CEO on March 10, 2025. She was selected for the role following a national executive talent search conducted by the Firstmark Board in collaboration with Modern Executive Solutions Senior Partner Mike Juratovac.
“Wendy’s passion for our mission-focused work has been demonstrated by her years of service, advocacy and community involvement dedicated to improving the lives of others,” Firstmark Board Chairman Donald Pinson said. “With her extensive background and vision for the future, we are confident Firstmark will continue to excel under her leadership in member service and community impact. We are extremely pleased to have her join us.”
During her tenure at Sound, Cleveland led strategic efforts to enhance the member experience, deepen employee engagement, and generate asset, income and membership growth. She has also served in a variety of senior leadership roles at credit unions around the country, and through her leadership and volunteerism, has been committed to bettering members’ lives and enriching communities, Firstmark said. Cleveland holds an MBA and is a CUES Certified Chief Executive.
“I look forward to joining the community of San Antonio and leading Firstmark Credit Union into an exciting new chapter,” Cleveland said. “I am honored to build on the impactful legacies of Mr. Ewing and Mr. Tarwasokono and to work with our dedicated Board and employees to advance the credit union’s rich history. Together, we will achieve growth with a member-first vision and best-in-class service and technology.”
Former Firstmark CEO Leon Ewing served at the helm of the credit union from 1984 to 2015.
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
