WEST

Jeff Meshey

Jeff Meshey, president/CEO for the $9 billion, Phoenix, Ariz.-based Desert Financial Credit Union, will serve as an Advisory Board member to the newly launched Arizona Cardinals Foundation, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to serving Arizona’s special needs community. In this role, Meshey will help guide the Foundation’s mission and amplify the Cardinals’ charitable impact. He previously served as chair of the American Heart Association Board in Phoenix. In 2024, Desert Financial became the team’s official banking partner, a multi-year collaboration focused on fan engagement, financial education and community outreach. In August 2025, the credit union was named a founding partner of the Arizona Cardinals Foundation.

EAST

Mayté Rivera

The $3.2 billion, Chelsea, Mass.-based Metro Credit Union hired Mayté Rivera into the newly-created role of vice president of financial impact and inclusion and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Officer. In her new position, she will lead initiatives that promote financial access, economic equity and community engagement. She will also spearhead Metro’s efforts to expand financial services through strategic community partnerships, fostering inclusion, strengthening community engagement, and driving social and economic change across the Metro footprint. In addition, she will champion the credit union’s compliance by developing and executing strategies to consistently exceed both state and federal CRA and fair lending regulations. Rivera brings an extensive background in community reinvestment and fair lending, having most recently served as vice president and CRA officer at New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp. She also spent nearly 20 years at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Banks, where she held the role of deputy commissioner and directed the CRA, Fair Lending, and Consumer Protection and Compliance Unit. She also served as director of the Community and Enterprise Development Center at Northern Essex Community College. Rivera holds a master of science in community and economic development from Southern New Hampshire University and completed her doctoral coursework in law and policy at Northeastern University.

SOUTH

Andrew Akard

The $6.1 billion, Oklahoma City, Okla.-based Tinker Federal Credit Union announced one new hire and two promotions.

Andrew Akard was promoted to SVP of facilities. In his new role, Akard oversees construction, maintenance and insurance for the credit union. His role also includes procuring and purchasing goods and services. Before joining TFCU in 2022, Akard managed large-scale projects in both regional and national markets for more than a decade, including roles at Brookfield Asset Management in Columbia, Md., and Simon Property Group in Oklahoma City. He also served in the U.S. Navy for eight years, with a one-year deployment in Afghanistan in 2010.

Brian Peterson

Brian Peterson was hired as SVP of business services. In his new role, Peterson will oversee business lending operations and account services for companies with a focus on expanding offerings and support for business members across Oklahoma. Peterson brings more than 30 years of experience in financial services, with a background in commercial real estate lending, evaluating and managing business loans, and providing banking services for mid-sized businesses. He has held senior leadership positions at financial institutions across the Midwest and Oklahoma, where he managed loan review teams, helped create new departments and guided business lending programs. He is a member of the Commercial Real Estate Council of Oklahoma City and the Urban Land Institute, and serves on the board of the Oklahoma Professional Sales Association.

Jennalee Hunter

Jennalee Hunter was promoted to SVP of human resources. In her new role, Hunter oversees the credit union’s HR operations, including hiring and staff development, employee relations, compensation, benefits and organizational growth. Her focus includes developing strategies that attract and retain top talent, fostering a welcoming and supportive work environment and ensuring TFCU’s HR practices support its overall mission and values. She began her career in HR more than a decade ago, working in training, generalist and business partner roles before joining TFCU in 2021 as director of HR. She has also worked in the financial and energy sectors, gaining experience in every area of HR, from benefits and recruitment to employee relations and HR information systems.

TRADES

Ryan Suttles

Ryan Suttles, real estate specialist II for the $56.2 billion, Raleigh, N.C.-based SECU, was named the 2025 CUES Emerging Leader. On Oct. 1, Suttle and four other finalists presented projects live during an online pitch show. Two other finalists, Jennifer Dray, director, sales and coaching for YNCU in Ontario, Canada, and Jessica Smith, assistant vice president, remote experience for Unitus Community Credit Union ($1.7 billion, Tigard, Ore.), were named as runners-up. Each Top 3 winner will receive a CUES educational package with options to advance their growth, plus leadership assessment and coaching from Envision Excellence. Suttle’s winning business case, Pipeline-Centered Mortgage Dashboard–Focused on Employee Efficiency & Member Transparency, outlines an innovative mortgage process that improves employee efficiency and member transparency. CUES Emerge was created to offer free professional development to the industry’s up-and-coming leaders. Participants who complete the course work and business case earn the Certified Credit Union Manager designation.

Please send your People news items to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com.

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