CU*ANSWERS - Key Persons
Mr. Frizzle has served as CU*Answers CFO since joining the 100% credit union-owned cooperative Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) in 1997.
A CUSO CFO who works with multiple boards as CFO and also serves as a Board Director for several businesses. Bob's perspective is from the point of view of communicating financial concepts that build successful businesses.
Chris Butler - CEO, Chairman, President
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chairman of the Board
- Member of the Chairman of the Board
- President
- Chris Butler, Chairman of the Board / President / CEO, Community Credit Union
Job Titles:
- Leader and Manager of Web Services
David is the fearless leader and Manager of Web Services. In addition to co-authoring the Professional WordPress book from Wrox publishing and being a Zend Certified Engineer, David is skilled in design, development, and loud typing. His years of experience enable him to sail the sea of project deadlines like a crafty pirate (even though he prefers ninjas) all while maintaining high morale among the crew.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Dean Wilson, Director / CEO, Focus CU
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
- CU Answers Board Member
- Member of the CU Answers Board of Directors
Donald J. Mills is the newest member of the CU*Answers board of directors. Donald has been with Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union for over 18 years, serving as President & CEO since 2001. He has gained extensive credit union experience while Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union grew from $32 Million to $242 Million in member assets since 1991. He earned his BS in Business Administration from Michigan Technological University in 1991 and also graduated from CUNA Management School-University of Wisconsin in 1994.
Donald has also developed a working knowledge of the CUSO business model in his Board Member involvement and ownership of Neighborhood Mortgage Solutions, LLC. This knowledge coupled with listening to our CUSO owners and client needs will no doubt result in a member value proposition that is second to none.
Donald will work to assure that CU*Answers provides a high level of member service to our owners and clients. He believes that exceptional service is no doubt the key to both our CUSO's success and the success of our owner and client credit unions.
Job Titles:
- COO
- Chief Operations Officer of CU Answers
- Executive Vice President of Client Interactions
Geoff Johnson was appointed the Chief Operations Officer of CU*Answers in 2014. He brings a wealth of practical lending experience and industry knowledge to the table with sixteen years in credit union leadership roles that oversaw the strategic direction of lending and sales in the following areas: commercial, consumer, credit card, indirect, participation, real estate and all aspects of collections.
Since joining CU*Answers in 2005 as the Executive Vice President of Client Interactions, Geoff has worked closely in the growth and development of the Management Services teams including Gividends, Lender*VP, Audit link, Web Services and Imaging Solutions.
Janelle is a highly self-motivated and professional Graphic Designer touting a 5 year track record demonstrating problem solving skills, computer and design proficiency, and the ability to follow through with projects in a timely manner. She enjoys playing tennis, camping, being active and experiencing different food and cultures.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
The Director of Technical Resources for CU*Answers since 1994, Jody Karnes has over 20 years of financial product development experience working with thrift and credit union on-line and in-house products. Prior to coming to CU*Answers in 1994, Ms. Karnes served as the Assistant Vice President of Systems and Programming at Fiserv/Spokane, and has also held Systems Programmer/Analyst positions at various regional financial service and banking organizations.
As CIO, Ms. Karnes oversees the creation, maintenance, and development of all technical products offered by CU*Answers. Her day-to-day focus centers around the technical direction, operation, and development of programming, computer operations, and systems personnel.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Web Services Team
As the senior (citizen) member of the web services team, Kurt is a jack-of-all-trades developer. Mix a bunch of WordPress with a little jQuery with a lot of CSS & HTML with some PHP and you have a well-rounded web dev dude. Give him a website problem and he'll find a solution. Just don't ask him for a solution to the loud typing in web services. Do ask him about his grilled chicken recipe, but not in front of the Web Standards Chicken.
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Dean Wilson
A Certified Information Systems Auditor who interacts daily with CUSO business leaders and the CUSO Board on what they need to be thinking about when it comes to risk and designing good internal controls. Patrick's perspective is from the point of the view that every business must know its risk to manage its risk.
Peter specializes in graphical bedazzlement and textual enchantment. When he isn't creating vector art with the greatest of ease he can be found roaming the halls of the internet searching out the next big thing to keep you ahead of the curve. Insert buzzwords here as necessary.
Biography
Since 1994, Mr. Karnes has been CEO of CU*Answers, a credit union-owned CUSO that provides core processing, consulting, management, and technology services. An active participant in the credit union industry since 1985, Mr. Karnes currently serves on the Boards of Xtend and eDOC Innovations and formerly served on the Board of Callahan and Associates for many years.
Mr. Karnes is an active speaker and facilitator for credit union Board planning sessions and industry events across the country, and regularly participates in industry commentary in forums such as www.creditunions.com. Mr. Karnes has an infectious vision and drive for bringing credit unions together to explore the power of collaboration in entirely new ways. His enthusiasm for imagining and building new credit union business models has been helping to change the way many credit unions will approach serving members now and in the future.
A CUSO CEO who serves on the boards of several organizations, and also teams with his own Board to meet ongoing business challenges. Randy's perspective is from the point view of leadership and designing boardroom interactions.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vice Chair
- CEO, Honor CU
- Professional Associations
- VP of Lending and VP of Operations for United Federal Credit Union
Scott McFarland brings a strong operational and strategic background. Scott's years of experience at credit unions, ranging from $15 Million to $850 Million, brings perspectives to the board and the partners of CU*Answers. His commitment to the philosophy of the credit union industry is not just spoken but demonstrated in the work he does on a daily basis for the member, the community and the industry.
Since taking over Honor Credit Union in 2008, the organization has seen strong and steady growth even during challenging economic times. Scott credits the growth in the organization to a loyal member base, a progressive and supportive Board of Directors, and the great people that make up his team.
Before joining Honor Credit Union Scott designed and implemented a consultative service and sales culture as the VP of Lending and VP of Operations for United Federal Credit Union. Scott then led the sales team through a merger that created a $700 million credit union in Michigan's Great Southwest. As the VP of Member Sales and Service Scott brought his passion for member service, strategic vision and strong tactical skills to an even larger sales team serving a large and diverse membership.
Scott credits the skills that he learned from his mentors in the industry and his family. He was taught early that the "Work Hard - Play Hard" philosophy creates a balanced and exciting life. Scott is committed to bringing this same philosophy to the Board at CU*Answers.
Professional Associations
Honor Credit Union
Terry, the INTERN, currently attending Baker College (should have chosen something better right?) to finishing an Associates in Computer Science. Web Developing was is a minor… bound to change. Was in a Bachelors program prior to January for Computer Information Systems and opted to back out to obtain an Associates this spring. Will be continuing my Bachelor this fall. Easy going and challenge oriented!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Secretary
- Treasurer
Vickie Schmitzer has been with Frankenmuth CU for 31 years, serving as CEO since 2000. As a CU*Answers Board Member, and staunch CU*Answers supporter, she was delighted to take up Randy's challenge to collaborate with other credit unions to meet market needs. In addition to being a founder of Neighborhood Mortgage Solutions, and a CU*Answers Board Member, Vickie is an Xtend Board Member, serves on the Mid Michigan Chapter Executive Committee, and devotes time to numerous civic organizations.
Professional Associations
Frankenmuth Credit Union