Meet Your Association Team

Meet

your Association Team

Samantha Beeler, President, LSCU

samantha.beeler@lscu.coop

Samantha is the President of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions. When she’s home, she loves spending time with her three little girls, being part of an Air Force family, coveting electric trucks, and learning more about political history. She has lived in more than 10 states and served in more than 30 countries, and she even speaks Mandarin! Her best advice is, “leave it better than you found it.” She says her Dad would encourage her family to do this with everything from public policy to a park bench.

Sydney Seral

Vice President of Advocacy sydney.seral@lscu.coop

Sydney manages all of LSCU’s advocacy efforts, which include federal and state legislation, grassroots efforts, political action committees (PACs), and regulations. She is also the lead lobbyist for the state of Georgia. Sydney loves being active. Sydney ran a State Senate campaign in Georgia for John F. Kennedy, a Republican in Macon (no relation). Her favorite piece of advice is, “if you’re not going to remember something in five years, why are you letting it dominate your mental space right now?”

Grace Newcombe

Vice President of Federal Advocacy and Communications grace.newcombe@lscu.coop

Grace ensures credit unions and LSCU priorities remain on top of mind for federal lawmakers and consumers, leading our federal and grassroots efforts as well as our communications. During her free time, Grace enjoys hiking, running, and playing tennis. Her favorite piece of advice is, “you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen twice as much as you speak.”

Michelle Roth

Senior Director of Governmental Affairs - AL michelle.roth@lscu.coop

A native of Lakeland, Florida, Michelle is a graduate of the University of Alabama, with a B.S. in Marketing. She has served on several boards and executive committees of public policy, charities, and community organizations. Before joining LSCU, Michelle held the position of Executive Director of the Alabama Cable and Broadband Association.

Now, Michelle is responsible for legislative affairs, public and community relations, and statewide advocacy in Alabama for the League.

Christopher Hodge

Senior Director of Governmental Affairs - FL christopher.hodge@lscu.coop

Christopher is responsible for the legislative affairs, public and community relations, and statewide advocacy in Florida for the League. Before joining LSCU, Christopher advocated for Florida agriculture and higher education with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. His favorite piece of advice is “over prepare and go with the flow.

Natalie Riner

Deputy Director of Political Strategy natalie.riner@lscu.coop

Natalie runs the fundraising efforts for LSCU’s three State PACs and the Federal PAC. Prior to joining LSCU, she served as Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp’s scheduler on his re-election campaign and then continued onto his Inaugural Committee once he was re-elected. Natalie still resides in the Atlanta area but enjoys traveling to new places with her friends and family in her spare time.

Mat Willey

Deputy Director of Grassroots Advocacy mat.willey@lscu.coop

Mat has an extensive campaign and grassroots background and recently managed a Senate campaign in Iowa. His experience in grassroots advocacy includes work on a statewide initiative, stints on both a U.S. Congressional and U.S. Senate race, and two nationwide campaigns. Before this, Mat spent more than seven years working throughout the Southeast in marketing, communications, and sales.

Communications

Grace Newcombe

Vice President of Federal Advocacy and Communications grace.newcombe@lscu.coop

Grace ensures credit unions and LSCU priorities remain on top of mind for federal lawmakers and consumers, leading our federal and grassroots efforts as well as our communications. During her free time, Grace enjoys hiking, running, and playing tennis. Her favorite piece of advice is, “you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen twice as much as you speak.”

Jeremy Burns

Director of Communications jeremy.burns@lscu.coop

Jeremy is a communications leader and strategist with more than a decade of experience working for government, for-profit, and non-profit firms. A lifelong storyteller with a passion for using the power of words to connect people, he is the nationally bestselling author of four novels, and his shorter works have been featured in several award-winning publications.

Lizeth George

Senior Communications Manager lizeth.george@lscu.coop

Lizeth is in charge of LSCU Insight, Southeastern CU News, press releases, HTML emails, the LSCU Awards, CUNA Awards, and new product launches. During her free time, she likes to act in musicals. Someday, Lizeth hopes to eventually start performing stand-up comedy. Her favorite piece of advice is, “just because you took longer than others does not mean you failed.”

Mike Miller

Communications Manager mike.miller@lscu.coop

Mike is the host of the LSCU podcast, Common Cents. He also does voiceover work for our advertisements and videos. He’s in charge of all of our social media channels. The Comms Team works together to write articles, press releases, newsletters, and marketing materials for LSCU, LEVERAGE, and our partners. He enjoys watching movies, streaming television shows, playing video games, and reading comic books, graphic novels, and books.

Teri Hall

Vice President of Compliance & Risk Management teri.hall@lscu.coop

Teri graduated from the University of Louisville School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration for Accounting. Teri has regulatory, management, and operations experience in both the credit union and banking industries and is proficient in compliance, accounting, and strategic direction. In her free time, she loves being a Grammi and spending time with close family and friends, cheering on the University of Louisville Athletics, and engaging in outdoor activities.

Kela Wingard

Manager of Compliance Services kela.wingard@lscu.coop

Kela answers any compliance questions, is in charge of the Weekly Compliance Newsletter, and manages InfoSight content. During her free time, she loves thrifting and reselling. She says, “be consistent, even when your motivation and energy fluctuate. Speak up, tame negative talk, and focus on what steps you can take to get to where you want to be.”

Tony Roberts

Senior Shared Compliance Consultant tony.roberts@lscu.coop

Tony oversees the Shared Compliance Consultant Program assisting credit unions with all their compliance needs. When he’s not working, he likes to play golf. He says when he is deciding on compliance issues, he always makes sure it’s in the best interest of the credit union and the members.

Kelsie Davis

Shared Compliance Consultant kelsie.davis@lscu.coop

Kelsie plans and executes compliance programs as well as provides regulatory training. She has helped launch our on-demand training for all things compliance and comes with years of credit union experience. She enjoys collecting and selling vintage apparel and traveling outside of work, watching motorsports, and playing video games with her husband, Dylan and their dog, Buttons.

Miranda Humphrey

Shared Compliance Consultant miranda.humphrey@lscu.coop

Miranda brings valuable experience to our team, having recently served as a Loan Processor at Waterstone. Previously, she has served as a Regulatory Compliance Specialist, Quality Control Auditor and as a Universal Banker/Senior Vault Teller in Alabama markets. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and finds joy in spending time outdoors and exploring new culinary experiences with her husband and two boys.

Alisha Stair

Vice President of Member Engagement alisha.stair@lscu.coop

Alisha works to provide our credit unions with opportunities to engage and interact with the League, peers, and the larger credit union system. She enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. Her favorite piece of advice is, “prioritize lifelong learning and say yes to the things that scare you!”

Avery Ragsdale

Member Engagement Consultant avery.ragsdale@lscu.coop

Avery develops and manages relationships to provide ongoing support for credit unions. He works with the Member Engagement Team to promote membership growth and meets face-to-face with credit unions to promote LSCU events, products, and services. Avery mostly travels throughout Alabama and Georgia. When he’s not working, he enjoys shopping, golfing, attending Atlanta Braves games, biking, and fishing. Avery is the youngest member of the Board of Directors in the Bartow United Way’s history. He lives by the motto, “always do more.”

Susan Lee

Member Engagement Consultant susan.lee@lscu.coop

Susan ensures that credit unions are aware of all the resources available through the League. She mostly works with credit unions in Florida. When she’s not traveling around the Sunshine State meeting with credit unions, she enjoys cooking, snorkeling, and paddle boarding. She says, “don’t ever stop learning and growing as a person.”

Kelly Yager

Member Engagement Consultant kelly.yager@lscu.coop

Kelly has the privilege of working closely with credit unions in Alabama and Georgia, witnessing firsthand the pivotal role they play in empowering members and communities to achieve their financial goals. Her mission is to help explore ways to enhance member experience, cultivate lasting relationships and drive sustainable growth for Credit Unions! She enjoys watching her kids play ball, traveling and shopping! Her favorite piece of advice is “Work Hard. Stay Humble. “

Southeastern Credit Union Foundation

Bobbi Grady

Foundation Director bobbi.grady@lscu.coop

Bobbi is dedicated to the progressive professional development of credit union staff and volunteers, financial capability programs for all age groups, and the creation of valuable resources for our member credit unions and the communities they serve. During her free time, you can find her spending time with family and friends. Her favorite advice is, “instead of worrying about a future of unknowns, embrace the joy that is here in the present.”

Maureen Bock

Vice President of Education & Training education@lscu.coop

Maureen oversees the strategic direction and team that creates educational and training content and offerings at LSCU. Her greatest joy is seeing the collaboration and learning that happens at events we host. She says, “the greatest life skill is learning to accept change. It is constant and can be mostly driven by outside forces. If you can be open and resilient to change, it makes life easier.”

Hayley Trammell

Director of Education & Training education@lscu.coop

Hayley assists in reviewing hotel contracts, speaker contracts and monitoring contracts to make sure all contractual obligations are met. She also assists with planning for in-person events, updating registration lists, and building registration links. Hayley was born in the Republic of Panama. She loves the quote, “do or do not, there is no try.” She says her Dad lives by this quote from Star Wars' Yoda so it has stuck with her.

Nancy Golden

Exhibit and Sponsorship Manager education@lscu.coop

Nancy oversees event sponsorship opportunities and manages exhibit booth sales and service for our signature events. Outside of work, Nancy loves spending time with family and friends, traveling, and going to the beach. Nancy calls herself a collector! She collects anything that has to do with sharks.

Sheridan Hughes

Council Manager education@lscu.coop

Sheridan Hughes is an experienced project manager, event planner, and organizational expert. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint Leo University and is certified in Hospitality and Tourism Management and Post-Crisis Hospitality Management. Sheridan resides in Quincy, Florida, with her husband, Hunter, and two beautiful children, Hendrix and Hail.

Evin Torney

Event Coordinator education@lscu.coop

Evin’s primary objective is to organize and run all virtual events and training. She also helps with all Aventri registrations and reports them weekly while providing administrative support for the Education and Training Team. Evin enjoys time at home with her husband and their three pets, taking their dogs for walks at the park, and jumping on any chance she gets to ride horses. Her favorite piece of advice is, “if you do not excel with talent, exceed with effort.”

Mission Statement

To

Vision Statement