Golden 1 Credit Union Bolsters Executive and Senior Leadership Team through Key Promotions and New Hires

Strategy poised to fuel ongoing growth as organization reaches $20 billion in assets

Golden 1 Credit Union (Golden 1) is pleased to officially announce seven executive and senior leadership promotions as well as the hiring of two new executive positions as the organization continues its strategic growth built on a foundation of safety and strength and reaches more than $20 billion in assets.

Golden 1 has grown to have more than 2,000 employees as it celebrates its 90th year of service this August. The Credit Union’s focus on elevating long-time talented leaders from within complemented by strategic new hires reinforces the organizations commitment to exceptional service and enhances its ability to provide innovative financial solutions for its more than 1 million members.

These key executive and leadership changes position the Credit Union to seize more opportunities that evolve and transform the organization for its diverse members and all Californians. Golden 1 is proud to announce the following promotions and new hires:

Executive Team Promotions

• Dustin Luton has been promoted to Senior Executive Vice President. Luton has more than 30 years of financial services and consulting experience and has been a member of Golden 1’s executive team since joining the organization in 2015. In this expanded role, he provides strategic direction in the areas of corporate strategy, information technology, service operations, enterprise project management, marketing, communications, and community relations. Luton has a bachelor's degree in business economics from UC Santa Barbara, and is Board Chair for the American River Parkway Foundation.


• Heather Andrade-Neumann has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer. Andrade-Neumann has more than 25 years of human resources experience and has served on Golden 1’s leadership team since joining the Credit Union in 2018. In this role, she oversees HR business partners talent acquisition, diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational effectiveness, total rewards, people analytics, enterprise development, internal communications, and HR operations. Andrade-Neumann earned a master’s degree in human resources from Golden Gate University and a bachelor’s degree in communications studies from Sacramento State. She currently serves on the board of Visit Sacramento.


• Allyson Hill has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. Hill has more than 20 years of financial services experience and has been a member of Golden 1’s leadership team since joining the Credit Union in 2012. In this role, she leads finance, accounting, credit risk, and capital planning and stress testing for the organization. Hill has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and is a licensed CPA. She also serves on the board of Junior Achievement of Sacramento.


• Courtney Linn has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Head of Legal, Risk, and Compliance. Linn has more than 30 years of legal experience and joined the Credit Union as Senior Vice President, General Counsel in 2017. Linn earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of California, Davis.

Senior Team Promotions

• Walter Anasovitch has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Service Operations. Anasovitch has more than 30 years of financial services experience and has served on Golden 1’s leadership team since joining the organization in 2014. In this new role, he focuses on identifying opportunities to digitize the Credit Union. Anasovitch earned a master’s degree in management from Penn State Great Valley and a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania.


• Ryan Kelly has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Chief Audit Executive. Kelly has nearly 20 years of audit experience and has been part of Golden 1’s leadership team since joining the Credit Union in 2015. In this new role, he leads the planning, execution, and reporting of risk-based audit and consulting engagements as well as all aspects of Golden 1’s internal audit function. Kelly has a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems Management from BYU, and currently serves on the board for iFoster.


• Kyle Long has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy. Long has more than 15 years of experience in finance and risk management and has been with Golden 1 since 2014. In this new role, he oversees strategic planning and performance, strategic intelligence, and the member experience program. Long earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Finance from Sacramento State and holds a CPA license.

New Executive Hires

• John Fischer joins Golden 1 as its new Executive Vice President, Chief Retail Officer. Fischer has more than 40 years of financial services experience including leading the implementation of line-of-business integration for members through high-tech and high-touch digital strategies as well as leading local, regional, and national production teams. In this new role, Fischer oversees the Credit Union’s branch network, consumer and home loan production, and investment and insurance services. He earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration and economics from Sacramento State. Additionally, Fischer is an alumnus of the University of Virginia’s Graduate School of Retail Banking.


• Chris Hamilton joins Golden 1 as its new Executive Vice President, Chief Lending Officer. Hamilton has more than 30 years of financial services experience developing high-performing teams, executing business strategies, deploying innovative technology, and implementing enterprise initiatives. In this new role, he is responsible for lending operations including product management, credit/analytics, underwriting, and loan processing. Hamilton earned his Bachelor of Science from UNC Charlotte.

ABOUT GOLDEN 1 CREDIT UNION
With more than $20 billion in assets, Golden 1 Credit Union is one of the largest credit unions in the United States, providing easy access to the financial solutions, resources, and support their members and communities need to improve their well-being.  Golden 1 is committed to creating a more equitable and financially inclusive California and proudly serves all those who live or work there. Golden 1 is more than 1 million members strong and has over 2,200 employees. Visit golden1.com for more information.