The Credit Union Association of New Mexico’s board of directors has selected Juan Fernandez Ceballos as its next president and CEO.
Ceballos will succeed Paul Stull, who has announced his plans to retire at the end of June, following a short transition period once Ceballos begins work in his new position on June 1.
“This is truly a milestone for the credit union movement as it represents the first time a Latino professional has been chosen to lead a state credit union league [or] association,” said a statement Wednesday from the National Association of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals.
Ceballos has spent more than 15 years in the industry, including over a decade at CUANM, serving as a vice president of the league and CEO of its subsidiary organization, Leverage Point. He has also logged time with the New York Credit Union Association, and most recently served as community development officer at Spokane, Wash.-based Canopy Credit Union.
His hiring at the New Mexico league is notable not just because he is the first Latino to lead a state-level industry group, but because it represents another effort to diversify the industry.
“Given the growing recognition within the industry of the movement’s mandate to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and taking into account the increasing diversity of the nation, this welcoming development sends a powerful message that our industry is seriously embracing the DEI principles and moving towards to better reflecting the communities we serve,” NALCUP said.
New Mexico has one of the largest Hispanic populations in the nation and credit unions have taken steps in recent years to improve how the industry serves Spanish-speaking consumers, including continuing growth of the Juntos Avanzamos program from Inclusiv.
