ROANOKE, Virginia, Sept. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Member One, a division of Virginia Credit Union, is pleased to announce its regional leadership team for the combined Roanoke Valley, New River Valley and Lynchburg markets.
Member One and Virginia Credit Union completed a successful merger on August 1, creating a not-for- profit financial cooperative serving almost 500,000 members.
“We understand the critical role local decision-making, engagement and leadership play in serving the unique needs of our various markets,” says Virginia Credit Union President/CEO Chris Shockley. “Our regional leadership team balances continuity with change and positions us to deliver value for our members, to effectively collaborate with our community partners, and to successfully integrate our operations.”
The leadership team for the Roanoke Valley, New River Valley and Lynchburg markets will ensure operational execution and strategic oversight as the combined organization works toward unifying its operations, products and services, and policies.
Tim Rowe (Market President for Member One)
A 38-year veteran of Member One and a lifelong Roanoke-area resident, Rowe will lead regional efforts in member services, employee engagement and community involvement.
Rowe serves as a board and finance committee member of the Local Advisory Board for Virginia Western Community College and is a former director for the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. He also serves on the board of the Virginia Council on Economic Education, an organization that provides economic and financial education resources and training for teachers and school divisions. For the past 30-plus years, Rowe has been active as a coach, mentor and volunteer with Roanoke-area youth and high school sports programs. During his career, Rowe has been an active industry advocate on consumer finance issues at the local, state and national levels.
Rowe holds a Bachelor of Science in finance, insurance, and business law from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and a Master in Business Administration from Radford University.
Jean Hopstetter (Senior Executive Vice President & Merger Integration Executive)
With almost 30 years of experience in the credit union industry, including 16 years at Member One, Hopstetter will lead regional efforts related to the organization’s integration goals and objectives. This will include the integration of member-facing operations as well as the work of support and administrative staff.
She currently serves on the board of the Roanoke County Public Schools Education Foundation, which raises funds for scholarships and grants to assist students and teachers. Hopstetter recently completed a six-year term on the Taubman Museum Board of Trustees, a term that saw her chair the museum’s finance committee and serve on the selection committee for the museum’s executive director. She also served on a joint advisory committee appointed by the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors and School Board to study the construction of a new career and technical education center for Roanoke County. Her other interests include working with organizations dedicated to the research and treatment of a rare lung cancer that most often strikes nonsmokers.
Hopstetter has a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Saint Leo University.
Member One will operate as a division of Virginia Credit Union until completion of the integration process, likely in 2026. Member One members will continue to bank as they did before the August 1 merger, accessing services and loan opportunities through existing digital platforms, ATM networks and branch locations.
To ensure access to timely information regarding member services and the merger integration process, information for members will continue to be posted to memberonefcu.com and vacu.org and communicated through other channels, including email.
No Member One or Virginia Credit Union employee will lose their job due to the recently completed merger, and no Member One or Virginia Credit Union branch will be closed as a result of this merger.
“We recognize and appreciate the tremendous trust placed in us by the membership at Member One,” says Shockley, “and we’re excited about what the future holds for our combined organization. Early in the merger process, we recognized how closely the organizations aligned in terms of mission, vision and culture, which means we’re starting the integration process with a solid foundation, one that prioritizes member success, empowers our trusted staff to serve members, and supports our communities.”
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