ONTARIO, CA (December 18, 2018) — Greater Nevada Credit Union President and CEO Wally Murray, Stanford Federal Credit Union President and CEO Joan Opp, and First Entertainment Credit Union President and CEO Frank Wasson will be joining the Western CUNA Management School (WCMS) Board of Trustees, effective Jan. 1, 2019.
Murray was appointed to replace Eileen Rivera, who retired from SkyOne Federal Credit Union. Opp is replacing Mandy Jones, who retired from Oregon Community Credit Union. Wasson is replacing outgoing board member Partners Federal Credit Union President and CEO John Janclaes—whose term expires this month.
Comprised of eight credit union CEOs, two League presidents, and the WCMS president and dean—the board is responsible for oversight and direction of the school. Under the current board’s leadership, WCMS transitioned guidance of the school after the retirement of dean emeritus Dr. James Likens, conducted a complete review of the entire curriculum and student research projects, and completed an extremely successful outside review of the program by the American Council on Education.
Murray has been with Greater Nevada CU since 1988 and has served as president and CEO since 2000. He’s an honors graduate of California State University, Sacramento (B.S.) and Yuba College (A.S.) and earned a C.P.A. designation from the state of Texas. He is a 1995 honors graduate of Western CUNA Management School.
During his credit union career, Murray has served in a variety of advocacy roles, including four terms as the Nevada Credit Union League board chairman. He was appointed in 2014 to the NCUA’s Industry Panel on its proposed risk-based capital regulation, served on the CUNA Subcommittee on Examinations and Supervision from 2013-2016, and was a past gubernatorial appointee to the Nevada Credit Union Advisory Council. In addition, he has twice been recognized as the Nevada Credit Union Advocate of the Year.
Opp has been president and CEO at Stanford FCU since May 2010. She brings more than 20 years of executive level management and financial institution experience. Prior to joining Stanford FCU, she served as executive vice president/chief financial officer at Texas Trust Credit Union overseeing accounting, information technology, marketing and business services, as well as three Credit Union Service Organizations. Before joining the executive team at Texas Trust CU, Opp was a partner with the CPA Firm of Clifton Gunderson, LLP.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Maryland with a business administration degree and a minor in accounting. She received the Certified Chief Executive designation in 2009 and was recognized as a “Women of Influence” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal in 2015. In 2016, she became a member of Stanford FCU’s Board of Directors.
Wasson is an accomplished leader with more than 40 years of professional experience in financial services, entertainment and retail merchandise. He served in senior technology and operations leadership roles before, in 2016, becoming the CEO of one of the largest entertainment-based credit unions in the nation.
His credit union career began in 2004 at Partners Federal Credit Union, where he served as vice president/chief information officer. Wasson later joined CBC Federal Credit Union in 2013 as vice president of IT/chief operations officer. Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles in strategic planning for the Walt Disney Company, General Mills, Talbots, and Eddie Bauer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Florida, and an MBA from the University of Central Florida.
Beginning January 2019, Sterling Nielsen, president and CEO of Mountain America Credit Union in Utah, will serve as board chairman. Stephanie Teubner, president and CEO of Blue Federal Credit Union in Wyoming will serve as vice chairman and Tracie Kenyon, president and CEO of Montana’s Credit Unions, will serve as secretary/treasurer.
The other trustees are Bill Cheney, president and CEO of SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union in California; Brad Harvey, president and CEO of Horizons North Credit Union in Colorado; Gene Pelham, president and CEO of Rogue Credit Union in Oregon; Diana Dykstra, president and CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues; and Dr. Michael Steinberger, dean of Western CUNA Management School and associate professor and department chair of economics for Pomona College.
Frank Wasson
Joan Opp
Wally Murray
For more than 60 years, Western CUNA Management School has helped credit union management staff meet the challenges of the future. WCMS is the West Coast-based leadership and philosohical institution for current and future credit union leaders, preparing individuals with the depth and breadth they need to contribute to their credit union’s success, the credit union movement, and their own personal career goals.
Nancy Wood
Director of School Administration
Western CUNA Management School (WCMS)
1-909-212-6059
nancyw@wcmspomona.org
