LEGA L & FI N A N C E Credit unions, ranked by assets
Susan Frank, Desert Schools Federal Credit Union
Schools Federal Credit Union 1 Desert
148 N. 48th St., Phoenix, 85034 • 602-4337000 • desertschools.org ASSETS $3.22 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 1,175 PRINCIPAL AND IGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Susan C. Frank, president and CEO
2 Arizona State Credit Union
2355 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Phoenix, 85027 • 602-452-4800 • azstcu.org ASSETS $1.43 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 412 PRINCIPAL David E. Doss, president and CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN No designee
3 Arizona Federal Credit Union
333 N. 44th St., Phoenix, 85008 • 602683-1000 • arizonafederal.org ASSETS $1.24 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 455 PRINCIPAL Ronald L. Westad, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Amy Hysell, senior vice president and chief information officer
4 Vantage West Credit Union
A ‘DO-THE-RIGHT-THING’ APPROACH SUSAN FRANK IS THE FIRST wom-
an in the country to lead a credit union with $1 billion or more in assets. Considering that distinction, the Desert Schools Federal Credit Union CEO is surprisingly humble about her pioneering role in the industry. “I really never approached the position as being the first female CEO,” she says. “I’ve always just worked hard and tried to do the right things and move forward in my career.” Since taking the helm as Desert Schools’ CEO in 1999, at least a dozen other female CEOs have emerged at major credit unions across the country. Ironically, Frank may never have broken into the old boys’ network of high finance if she hadn’t been edged out of her first occupational choice. “I was majoring in education and psychology in college, and working as a collector for a finance company as my summer job,” she says. “But when I graduated in 1976, teaching jobs were kind of scarce. So I stuck with the finance company.” Her manager taught her about lending, and after that manager transferred to Bethpage Federal Credit Union on Long Island, Frank had the opportunity to be a loan officer there. “I fell in love with the people-helping-people culture of credit unions,” she says.
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Eventually she got an MBA in business and, during a week-long Credit Union National Association training session in Phoenix, fell in love with Arizona, too. Frank started as executive vice president at Desert Schools in 1992. As CEO, Frank has tried to foster that “feel good, do-the-right-thing” environment that first attracted her to the credit union business model. She’s most proud of developing Desert Schools’ community initiative, which provides financial education for children and adults, and partners with non-profits and volunteer groups for various fundraising efforts. In her free time, Franks enjoys traveling and scuba diving in favorite spots such as Tahiti, Bora Bora and Hawaii. The past several years have given her a new perspective on what credit unions can and can't do. “The economy has been challenging,” she admits. “During the recession, it was very difficult to watch people who had been good members lose jobs and be unable to keep up with payments.” She’s proud of the number the credit union was able to help stay in their homes by restructuring their loans. “But it’s difficult to help people when they’re out of work,” she says. “Sometimes there’s just not a solution.”
2480 N. Arcadia Ave., Tucson, 85712 • 520-298-7882 • vwestcu.org ASSETS $1.09 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 438 PRINCIPAL Robert D. Ramirez, president and CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Brenda Gordon, vice president, legal counsel
5 TruWest Credit Union
1667 N. Priest Drive, Tempe, 85281 • 480-441-5900 • truwest.org ASSETS $791 million AZ EMPLOYEES 210 PRINCIPAL Daniel F. Desmond, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Karen Bejarano, vice president of Arizona branch operations
6 Hughes Federal Credit Union
971 W. Wetmore Road, Tucson, 85705 • 520-794-8341 • hughesfcu.org ASSETS $753 million AZ EMPLOYEES 167 PRINCIPAL Robert J. Swick, president and general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kellie Terhune Neely, vice president, marketing
7 Credit Union West
5811 W. Talavi Blvd., Glendale, 85306 • 602-631-3200 • cuwest.org ASSETS $476 million AZ EMPLOYEES 183 PRINCIPAL Robert W. MacGregor, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Karen Roch, executive vice president
8 Arizona Central Credit Union
2020 N. Central Ave., Suite 1200, Phoenix, 85004 • 602-264-6421 • azcentralcu.org ASSETS $403.4 million AZ EMPLOYEES 190 PRINCIPAL Todd Pearson, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Janet Moodie, vice president and chief operating officer
9 Pima Federal Credit Union
6850 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, 85704
• 520-887-5010 • pimafederal.org ASSETS $401 million AZ EMPLOYEES 155 PRINCIPAL
Nathanael Tarwasokono, president and CEO
HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cindy Campano,
chief lending officer
10 First Credit Union
25 S. Arizona Place, Chandler, 85225 • 480-831-2645 • firstcu.net ASSETS $398 million AZ EMPLOYEES 139 PRINCIPAL Jay E. Curtis, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lori Gallegos, chief operations officer
JIMMY MAGAHERN
WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS 2014
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5/28/14 7:15 PM