Member News

ROCHESTER, N.Y., January 23, 2024 – ESL Federal Credit Union recently announced changes to its senior management team. These changes are a result of an extensive succession planning process and the planned retirements of several members of its senior leadership team.

The credit union announces the retirements of the following individuals in 2024:

• Joseph S. Buscaglia, executive vice president, chief information officer and director, systems & technology (April)
• Marcelina Nobrega Courtney, senior vice president/director, retail banking (April)
• James Darcy, senior vice president/director, treasury (June)
• Theodore T. Heinrich, vice president/director, audit (April)
• Celeste A. Kier, executive vice president/director, marketing & customer experience (April)

“We’d like to congratulate these individuals on their upcoming retirement and thank them for their significant contributions to our organization’s success over time,” said president & CEO, Faheem Masood. “These individuals were instrumental in ensuring the advancement and excellence in the areas of technology, customer experience, frontline operations, audit, treasury, and finance for ESL throughout their tenure. They have all helped make ESL a better, stronger organization today, and we owe a great deal of thanks and gratitude for their contributions.”

The credit union is pleased to announce the following promotions within its senior leadership team, effective immediately:

• Caytie Bowser, senior vice president/director, product & customer experience
• Ed French, chief information officer, senior vice president/director, systems & technology
• Ajamu Kitwana, senior vice president/director, community impact
• Tina Knapp, senior vice president/director, payments & branch service support
• Michael Prince, vice president/director, branch & contact center
• Richard G. Pulvino, vice president/director, marketing
• Brian Walsh, vice president/director, treasurer (April)

“We congratulate these seven individuals on their recent promotions, as they’ve consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership to help drive our organizational success,” said ESL president & CEO, Faheem Masood. “Collectively, these individuals hold more than 80 years’ experience at ESL. These promotions represent the culmination of a robust succession plan to ensure ESL is well-positioned to continuing to help our community thrive and prosper and deliver superior experiences to all our customers.”

Bowser holds more than 20 years’ experience with the company, and most recently served as vice president/director, product development and management. She will retain oversight of development and management of ESL’s product and service portfolios and expands responsibility to digital engagement and customer experience.

French first joined ESL in 2013 and most recently served as vice president/director, technology. He will now serve as the credit union’s chief information officer and have oversight over all ESL information technology departments.

Kitwana assumes the role of senior vice president after more than 10 years with the credit union. He will retain oversight of the Community Impact team and expand its efforts to meet the needs of Greater Rochester.

Knapp’s new role will continue the oversight of the credit union’s electronic services; deposit and loan product support including check processing, statement production, and research; fraud prevention and investigation; and add oversight over branch service support. She holds more than 11 years of experience at ESL.

Prince will be responsible for the management of ESL’s 24-branch network across Greater Rochester, and its locally based Contact Center. In his seven-year tenure with the credit union, he most recently served as vice president/director, digital engagement and previously held the role of district manager and retail banking sales coach.

Pulvino expands his responsibilities and will supervise all external communications functions for the credit union, including branding, advertising, customer and corporate communications, and media relations for ESL. He holds more than an eight-year tenure with ESL, most recently serving as vice president/director, corporate communications.

Walsh will assume the role of vice president/director, treasurer in April after 17 years with ESL and manage the credit union’s wholesale activities, as well as profitability, and financial planning & analysis functions. He most recently served as vice president/director, assistant treasurer and previously held the role of treasury manager for the credit union.

About ESL Federal Credit Union
With more than 100 years of locally owned history, ESL Federal Credit Union serves as a full-service financial institution to more than 413,000 members and 15,500 businesses. Founded in 1920, the company provides personal banking, business banking, mortgage services and wealth management services through its locally based 24-branch network; telephone, mobile and online banking; and live chat center.

The Rochester-based financial institution employs approximately 950 people in the Greater Rochester area and holds more than $9.2 billion in assets. Since 1996, ESL has paid out 28 consecutive Owners’ Dividends to its members totaling more than $265 million. Since the creation of its Community Impact initiative in 2018, ESL has reinvested more than $100 million in grants throughout the community. The company has appeared on Great Place to Work® lists since 2010. ESL Federal Credit Union is headquartered at 225 Chestnut Street, in Rochester, and can be found online at www.esl.org.