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MIDWEST
The $1.1 billion, Lansing, Mich.-based LAFCU announced one honor and two new hires.
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Kelli Ellsworth Etchison, chief marketing officer and chief diversity officer for LAFCU, was named Lansing Community College’s (LCC) 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. She will be honored during LCC’s 67th commencement ceremony on May 16. Ellsworth Etchison has more than 40 years of experience in the credit union industry and is a summa cum laude graduate of LCC. She also served seven years on the LCC Foundation Board, including two years as vice chair of the executive committee. Her previous honors have included being named Top Chief Diversity Officer in 2024 by COLOR Magazine; receiving the Lansing Legend Award from Power 96.5, MacDonald Broadcasting in 2024; and being named a Notable Leader in both Marketing and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by Crain’s Detroit Business in 2023. She also received the Salute to Diversity Award in 2022 from Corp! Magazine.
Patel brings over 21 years of credit union experience, having most recently spent seven years as a mortgage loan officer at an East Lansing credit union, where he was promoted from financial sales representative during his nine-year tenure. Before that, Patel spent 12 years at another Lansing-based credit union, where he advanced to the role of home equity specialist.
Richards brings more than seven years of experience in the banking industry, having previously served at a large regional bank and most recently as a financial services representative at a Detroit-based credit union.
The $1.5 billion, Plymouth, Mich.-based Community Financial Credit Union announced one role transition and one new hire.
Danielle Frawley, who has served as chief growth officer for the past two years, will shift into a newly-created fractional leadership role. In her new role, Frawley will continue her impact within the organization while embracing a flexible, nontraditional pathway that exemplifies creative role creation. She will initially focus on enhancing the frontline experience while supporting broader strategic initiatives. Frawley’s background spans executive leadership across marketing, lending, digital innovation and member engagement.
Ashlee Battocletti was hired as chief growth officer, effective June 9, 2025. Battocletti brings extensive expertise in member experience, branch operations and engagement strategy. She most recently served as SVP of strategic growth for the $119 million, Raleigh, N.C.-based Civic Federal Credit Union. She has also held leadership roles at Canvas Credit Union ($4.7 billion, Lone Tree, Colo.) and Blue Federal Credit Union ($2.1 billion, Cheyenne, Wyo.).
SOUTH
The $952 million, Austin, Texas-based Greater Texas|Aggieland Credit Union promoted Sidney Henderson to SVP of marketing. Since joining the credit union three years ago, Henderson’s accomplishments have included expanding the marketing team by five roles, including two assistant vice president positions; guiding a full-scale digital rebrand; leading the marketing strategy for the credit union’s enterprise-wide core conversion; and deepening strategic partnerships with Texas A&M University, Texas State University and others. She is a Credit Union Certified Marketing Executive and serves on the Cornerstone League Executive Marketing Committee, as well as the America’s Credit Unions Diamond Awards and Member Resource Committees.
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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.
