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OCCU announces new Chief Lending Officer, other executive shifts

EUGENE, OR (September 21, 2018) — OCCU has hired longtime Eugene lending expert Russ Bernardo as its new Chief Lending Officer, in addition to making two other executive management shifts.

Bernardo comes to OCCU from Northwest Community Credit Union, where he served in several lending capacities, most recently as Chief Lending Officer.

As OCCU’s Chief Lending Officer, Bernardo will oversee the credit union’s growing portfolio of residential and commercial loan products – including home loans, vehicle loans, lines of credit and student loans – as well as OCCU’s debit and credit cards portfolios and services. Last year, OCCU helped more than 900 individuals with new or refinanced mortgages, financed purchases of more than 21,000 autos, and issued 15,000 debit cards aligned with new checking accounts, while also providing 3,225 new credit cards.

“Russ knows our community well and has an outstanding reputation as a lending professional,” said OCCU President & CEO Ron Neumann. “I am excited about the skill and leadership that Russ brings to our team, and I find him to be a kind and caring individual who will exemplify OCCU’s values.”

Bernardo has a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Management from the University of Oregon and a Master of Business Administration from Washington State University. Among other volunteer positions in the Eugene area, Bernardo serves on the Construction Committee for Habitat for Humanity of Central Lane County.

Mersino Now Chief Marketing & Experience Officer

Deborah Mersino, who has been a member of the OCCU leadership team since 2014, has assumed an expanded role as Chief Marketing & Experience Officer. She previously served as OCCU’s Chief Marketing Officer.

In this role, Mersino will oversee marketing, communications, product research and development, technology, and OCCU’s enterprise project management organization – an expanded scope of responsibilities designed to ensure OCCU continues to provide the best customer experience possible. She also will continue to serve as executive product owner of the credit union’s digital banking transformation program, set to launch in Spring 2019.

“As Chief Marketing & Experience Officer, Deborah will serve as a critical ‘voice of the customer’ advocate who will work daily to ensure OCCU stays aligned with its strong customer experience philosophy and provides ample opportunities for members to strengthen their financial well-being,” Neumann said.

Mersino currently volunteers as Chair of the Strategic Market Share Task Force for the Northwest Credit Union Association. She regularly serves as a keynote speaker at national financial services conferences on customer experience and holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University.

Schumacher Now Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

Greg Schumacher, who joined the OCCU leadership team in 2013, has been named Chief Financial & Administrative Officer. He previously served as Chief Administrative Officer.

In this expanded role, Schumacher will oversee finance, accounting and business intelligence in addition to his current oversight of electronic services loss prevention, facilities, enterprise risk management, and regulatory compliance. Schumacher also serves as OCCU’s compliance counsel.

“Greg’s passion for the effective and efficient use of resources is apparent to anyone who has the good fortune to work with him,” said Neumann. “He brings a strong set of skills to managing the administrative functions vital to providing a strong customer experience for our members.”

Schumacher has a 29-year career in financial services, holding various leadership positions in multiple disciplines. He has a law degree from Whittier College School of Law and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from California State University. He is a member of the Oregon State Bar. In addition to financial institution experience, Schumacher has served as a college-level instructor in the areas of business, law, accounting and finance.

Deborah Mersino

Greg Schumacher

Russ Bernardo

About OCCU

OCCU is a not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than $3.4 billion in assets. The credit union was founded in Eugene, OR, in 1956, and has an expanding network of branches and web tools to provide its more than 260,000 member-owners with a full suite of financial services. Membership is open to anyone living or working in 28 Oregon counties or anywhere in Washington. Learn more at MyOCCU.org.