AUX Press Release

CU Service Network Announces New Board Chair & Three New Board Members

June 14, 2019

2019 board Aux

Lakewood, CO (June 14, 2019) – Many changes have come to the CU Service Network Board in the past month, including a new chair and three new board members. The Denver-based, back office CUSO is excited to share these changes below and feel confident in the board’s commitment to the credit union movement.

“I’m happy to welcome Tessa Bonfante, the new Chairman of CU Service Network. She will be joining a long list of tremendous chairmen, including our outgoing Chairman Mike Williams,” said Doug Burke, President/CEO of CU Service Network.

New Chairman
Tessa Bonfante, CEO Denver Community CU, has been elected as the Board Chairman and continues a legacy of board leadership from Denver Community. Their retired CEO, Carla Hedrick, served as the CUSO’s Board Chair for 12 years. Tessa writes of her position, “It is a privilege to be nominated by the CU Service Network Board as the incoming Chairman. I look forward to assuming my new responsibilities as Chairman and look forward to continuing the success of CU Service Network and providing valuable services that enable credit unions to successfully serve their members!“

Tessa holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management and has nearly 30 years of credit union experience across multiple areas. Throughout Tessa’s career, she has remained rooted to credit union principles that embody the credit union difference and believes integrity is the most important leadership quality.

New Board Members
The three new members to the CU Service Network staff are: Joe Christian, President/CEO of Nusenda CU, Chris Chippindale, COO of Canvas CU, and Dave Krause, President/CEO of UniWyo FCU.

Joe Christian has more than 30 years of service at Nusenda CU and has held numerous leadership roles during his tenure. He writes, “I decided to run so Nusenda Credit Union could continue to contribute and collaborate with our fellow credit unions in the region.” He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Constellation Digital Partners. Joe has a BBA in Management from the College of Santa Fe, and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from New Mexico State University. He is a graduate of CUNA Management School and holds a Certified Credit Union Executive designation (CCUE).

Chris Chippindale joined Canvas CU as VP of Digital Strategies in 2015 with over 24 years of credit union service and banking experience to draw from. In 2017, Chris took on the hefty role of overseeing the overall 500+ employee, 26-branch Canvas family experience as the Chief Operating Officer. “For me it’s not only an opportunity to give back to a great organization, to support the credit union, but also work closer with some very smart folks who have had distinguished careers within CU Service Network and those serving on the board of managers. I have known the management team for 10+ years and have always appreciated their dedication to serving the needs of credit unions.”

Chris is a proud Denver native and earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from the University of Denver. The Colorado Springs Business Journal recognized Chris as one of the “40 Under 40 Rising Professionals.” In 2012, he completed the Filene i3 program. He served as co-chair of the Payments Committee of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), is an active member of the CO-OP Technology Advisory Board, and completed the Credit Union Executives Society (CUES) CEO Institute.

Dave Krause has over 17 years of diverse leadership experience in financial services. He cares about people, culture and making a difference. “I’m excited to be joining the CU Service Network board with so many great leaders. They have been adapting to changes in the business environment and doing great strategic work to diversify their business. I’m hoping to help contribute to these great changes, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they grow in the future.”

Prior to joining UniWyo FCU, Dave was the SVP of Retail Operations at Fort Knox FCU. He has an MBA from Texas Christian University and a BS in Finance from Colorado State University. He is active in his community, serving on the boards for Laramie Chamber Business Alliance, Ivinson Memorial Foundation, is a member of Rotary and active in numerous community organizations. Dave also serves on the budget committee for the Mountain West Credit Union Association.

“I’m happy to have Dave, Chris and Joe join the board, allowing us to tap into their years of experience and move the organization forward,” said Burke. They will be joining current board members: Tessa Bonfante, President/CEO of Denver Community CU; Keith Cowling, President/CEO of Credit Union of Denver; Scott Ferndelli, President/CEO of Arapahoe CU; Carrie Langgard, CFO/EVP of Sooper CU; Mike Merryman, President/CEO of Interior FCU; Randy Mims, President/CEO of Credit Union of the Rockies; and Mike Williams, President/CEO of Colorado CU.

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