Bay Federal, Unitus, FAIRWINDS & VyStar Unveil Career Moves

Steven Stapp, president/CEO for Unitus, was named the 2025 recipient of the Renée Sattiewhite Neoteric Changemaker Award at the 48th CU Leadership Convention in Las Vegas. This national award, named after African-American Credit Union Coalition President/CEO Renée Sattiewhite, recognizes leaders who advance the credit union movement through bold action, innovative thinking and purpose-driven leadership. Stapp has served as president/CEO of Unitus since 2016. The World Council of Credit Unions presented Stapp with its Distinguished Service Award in July, the international credit union system’s highest honor.

SOUTH

Jim Adamczyk, chief strategy officer for the $5 billion, Orlando, Fla.-based FAIRWINDS Credit Union, was named one of Orlando Business Journal’s “2025 Most Influential Leaders.” This annual recognition celebrates individuals who are shaping the future of Central Florida through visionary leadership, innovation and impact across industries including banking and finance, hospitality, nonprofits, technology, health care and more. At FAIRWINDS, Adamczyk’s strategic leadership has played a pivotal role in the credit union’s continued growth and commitment to helping members achieve financial freedom.

The $13.9 billion, Jacksonville, Fla.-based VyStar Credit Union promoted Stephanie Curtis to SVP and chief member experience officer. In this expanded role, Curtis will continue to lead operational and fraud functions while also assuming responsibility for payments, ATMs and other operational teams. She has over 13 years of experience in financial services, with a focus on member engagement, service excellence and operational leadership. Curtis graduated from Western Credit Union Management School where she received a Credit Union Executive certification, as well as from the Florida School of Banking program at the University of Florida.

LEAGUES

Luminate, the professional trade association serving credit unions in Louisiana, announced two promotions.

Nanci Wilson was promoted from vice president of member solutions to EVP. Wilson has been in the credit union movement for 16 years, having begun her career as a teller before moving into leadership positions, including training director, marketing and communications director, and ultimately roles at the League level. In her new role, she will spearhead strategic initiatives and deepen member engagement, all with the goal of helping Louisiana credit unions grow stronger, serve better and make a bigger impact in their communities.

Jennifer Plaisance was promoted to EVP of finance. Plaisance has been with the organization for 21 years, joining as a staff accountant for the Credit Union Cooperative Branching (CUCB) network and advancing through key financial positions including financial accountant for CUCB and the Louisiana Credit Union League, director of accounting, controller, and most recently vice president of finance and administration. In her new role, Plaisance will oversee all aspects of Luminate’s financial strategy and operations, with a strong focus on driving innovation and growth in the company’s financial services.

CUSOS

Curql, a collective of credit unions jointly investing in fintech, appointed Eli Vazquez, CEO and managing director of BankFund Credit Union ($6.7 billion, Washington, D.C.), to its Board of Managers. Vazquez brings more than three decades of leadership experience in the credit union industry, financial services and strategic innovation. At BankFund, Vazquez leads one of the most complex credit unions in the United States, serving staff and families of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund across the globe. Prior to joining BankFund, he spent seven years at American Airlines Federal Credit Union ($9.2 billion, Fort Worth, Texas) in executive roles including CFO, SVP of mortgage and business lending, and SVP of card and electronic services. He also completed board service for NAFCU (now America’s Credit Unions), the Southwest Regional Payments Association and American Airlines FCU. In addition, Vazquez served on innovation and advisory groups for Truestage, Engage FI and Visa USA.

VENDORS

Ncontracts, a Brentwood, Tenn.-based provider of integrated compliance, risk and vendor management solutions to the financial services industry, hired Clay Carter as chief information security officer. Carter brings nearly 20 years of cybersecurity leadership experience, having most recently served as SVP and CISO at Nielsen. Before that, he held senior product security leadership roles at Xylem Inc. and GE Digital Carter. In his new role, he will lead Ncontracts’ comprehensive security strategy across both the company’s SaaS platform and corporate infrastructure. He will also play a crucial role in Ncontracts’ AI transformation, ensuring security controls and governance for its AI and machine learning capabilities while maintaining the trust of its bank, credit union and financial service customers. Carter holds a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Virginia.

VSoft Corporation, a global provider of information and technology solutions for financial institutions, hired Narendra Gollapalli as head of sales. Gollapalli brings more than 25 years of software engineering and delivery experience, having most recently served as assistant vice president/client partner at Ness Digital Engineering. He also served as director of software engineering at the data storage systems, intelligent data management and AI-powered hybrid cloud solutions provider Hitachi Vantara. In his new role, he will support continued expansion and growing market demand for VSoft’s suite of products, including its open architecture core banking platform.