Tucoemas Federal Credit Union announces a new chief financial officer has been added to the Tucoemas family. Sherry Belcher joins the team and brings with her 20 years of management and financial experience. Belcher worked at banks and credit unions in Tennessee and Georgia prior to joining the Tucoemas team.
Belcher earned her Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Covenant College. She also earned credentials as a Credit Union Compliance Expert (CUCE) from Credit Union National Association. She brings with her to the team and experienced professional, level assistance in all auditing and accounting operations. Belcher will be responsible for budget management and financial compliance.
Julie Wheeler has also joined the Tucoemas management team as the Porterville Branch Manager. Wheeler has 11 years’ experience as branch manager for credit unions in Florida, Indiana and Georgia. She has been a senior loan officer and is currently attending Liberty University.
Wheeler is a veteran in consumer lending and building member relationships. Along with managing the branch in Porterville, Wheeler will also assist Tucoemas members with all their lending and savings needs. Wheeler is also a California Notary Public.
Saeed Goraya returns to Tucoemas, and joins the administration team. He was previously with Tucoemas for three-and-a-half years as the marketing manager. Goraya has 15 years’ experience in technology. He attended San Jose State where he studied mathematics and computer science. He graduated from CUNA Marketing Manager School in 2011.
Goraya will take on a new role as the social media administrator where he will be responsible for the website and all social media platforms. With the ever-evolving social media landscape, Tucoemas has targeted growth for this area to better serve its members. Goraya will assist the marketing team and systems departments with special projects using his combined expertise in marketing and technology.
Sonia Smalley, loan manager at the Tucoemas – Whitendale branch in Visalia, recently graduated from Western CUNA Management School. The three-year course with a total of six weeks spent on campus at Pomona College in Claremont included completion of two complex projects with one focused on history to present credit union conditions and the other focused on present to projections out three years.
Smalley has worked for Tucoemas FCU for 28 years. She has been in the lending department since 1991. Smalley was promoted to loan supervisor in 2006 and became the loan manager in 2012. She manages the loan department and assists members with all their lending needs – VISA, personal loans, and all types of new and used vehicle loans.