Balance Sheet Solutions, LLC, has hired Lonnie Schaffer as senior director of financial product sales. Schaffer's responsibilities will include the oversight of financial product sales for credit unions primarily located in the Northeast. In addition, he will co-develop business unit strategies and sales plans to ensure resources and sales efforts...

TopLine Federal Credit Union has broken ground on its new Brooklyn Park branch in the new Park Place Promenade development.

Geoff Bacino, a former NCUA Board member and career credit union person, was named to the Federal Housing Finance Board this year, starting work there July 28.

Nine months after it was first notified by the House Ways and Means Committee requesting state regulators to collect data from a representative sample of credit unions they regulate in their state in four designated areas, NASCUS expects to complete its data collection by the end of 2006.

Credit Union Times is launching an expanded awards program in 2007. As the leading independent publication in the industry, the awards program is unbiased and open to all credit union professionals and volunteers, making it the premier awards program in the industry. Winners will be selected by the editorial department.

Kathryn Gonzales was named the new president/CEO of Members Business Services, LLC. Gonzales, who previously served as senior vice president of branch administration and sales at $1 billion Arrowhead Credit Union, succeeded Steve von Rajcs, who left in spring 2005. Launched in 2003, MBS provides commercial loans and deposit services...

Equifax recently launched two products designed to improve and speed decision-making and loan processing for financial institutions.

After working in the credit union industry for more than 30 years and leading Option 1 Credit Union--formerly called Financial Health Credit Union--since 1986, Jo Anne Fillwock has retired this month.