Navigant Credit Unions hires new community development leader
SMITHFIELD, RI (May 31, 2022) — Navigant Credit Union, the largest member-owned credit union in Rhode Island, has added a new member to its growing leadership team.
Navigant Credit Union announced today that it has hired Carlos Vargas to serve as the Credit Union’s new Assistant Vice President for Community Development. Carlos joins Navigant Credit Union with more than a decade of experience in the financial services sector, most recently serving as a Relationship Manager and Lending Specialist at Bank of America.
In his new role at Navigant Credit Union, Carlos will be responsible for identifying and executing community outreach, financial education, and business development initiatives across Rhode Island, with a focus on traditionally underserved communities.
“As the state’s first-ever community credit union, we have long been committed to ensuring our products and services are accessible to all Rhode Islanders. This position aims to break down language, socioeconomic and other barriers in the communities we serve to ensure we are advancing our mission in an equitable fashion,” said Navigant Credit Union President/CEO Gary E. Furtado. “Carlos’s experience in the financial sector, combined with his commitment to helping others, makes him an ideal fit for this critical role. We welcome him to our growing team.”
A lifelong Rhode Islander, Carlos grew up in Providence and now resides in Cranston with his wife and three daughters, and is currently pursuing his B.A. in Organizational Leadership at Providence College.
Learn more about Navigant Credit Union at www.navigantcu.org.
Carlos Vargas
About Navigant Credit Union
Based in Smithfield, R.I., Navigant Credit Union is the longest-operating member-owned credit union in Rhode Island. Since its founding in 1915, Navigant Credit Union has been dedicated to providing its members with unparalleled financial products and services, while working every day to improve the financial well-being of the families, businesses and communities it serves across Rhode Island. With more than $3.7 billion in assets, more than 145,000 members and 25 physical branch locations, Navigant Credit Union is the largest credit union in Rhode Island and among the state’s strongest and most trusted financial institutions.
Earning a five-star rating, Navigant Credit Union was listed as one of America’s best regional banks and credit unions by Newsweek in 2024. It is consistently ranked as one of Rhode Island’s Best Place to Work by Providence Business News and was rated the state’s top credit union and mortgage lender in 2022 and 2023 by the Providence Journal Readers’ Choice Awards.
Navigant Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA.
Visit www.navigantcu.org to learn more.
