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Corporate One Federal Credit Union announced today that Melissa A. Ashley has been named to the position of President/CEO effective Sept. 1. She succeeds retiring President/CEO Lee C. Butke, who had announced his planned departure previously in March of this year. Butke will support an effective and orderly transition as Consultant to the Board of Corporate One in the coming months.
“This is an exciting time at Corporate One. The financial services landscape is evolving rapidly, and credit unions need a partner to help them drive value to their own members, now more than ever,” said Lee Powell, Chairman of the Board of Corporate One FCU and President and CEO of DESCO Federal Credit Union in Portsmouth, Ohio. “Melissa was selected by the Board because we believe she has the vision, experience and passion for credit unions that make her the ideal person to continue Lee Butke’s legacy of dedication to the needs of credit unions, innovation, and commitment to the movement.”
“I am honored and excited to have been asked to lead an institution in whose mission I so strongly believe, and in whose goals and success I have invested nearly two decades of my professional life,” Ashley commented. “I look forward to working with Messrs. Butke, Powell, the entire Board of Directors and all of my colleagues on a seamless transition and, as we move forward, to helping our members compete with secure, innovative, and competitive products and services, putting them in the best possible position for present and future success.”
Ashley said that her immediate priorities as president/CEO will be to build on Corporate One’s solid reputation for excellent service, financial strength and offering innovative products and services. “We are committed to providing essential investment, funding and payment services, and to developing leading-edge services that help our members address the disruptors of today’s environment such that they continue to grow and meet their members’ evolving needs,” she said.
“The Board of Directors conducted an extensive nationwide search for a new President/CEO, and we are certain and thrilled we have selected the best candidate from the myriad applications and resumes we reviewed,” said Chris Rutledge, President/CEO of Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union in Pensacola, FL, and chairman of Corporate One’s CEO search committee. “I agree wholeheartedly with Lee Powell in expressing our complete confidence in Ms. Ashley as Corporate One’s new President/CEO. We know Melissa and her track record, and we look forward to working with her to continue Corporate One’s leadership role in serving credit unions through the traditional service channels of payment, investments and funding, but also to lead us as we seek new ways to serve credit unions for the future.”
Following tenure at a Big Four accounting firm, Ashley joined Corporate One in 1999 and has progressed through the corporate ranks in various positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, she served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Corporate One, with broad responsibility directing strategic planning, accounting and finance, marketing, core system operations, and human resources. She is a CPA and serves on the board of directors of four of Corporate One’s credit union service organizations.
As one of Corporate One’s longest serving executives, Ashley, played a key role in setting the strategic vision and tone of Corporate One over the course of 19 years – which included significant economic and operational challenges, mitigating and managing risks as the CFO, and
leading internal and external teams to support the advancement of technological and process objectives for Corporate One.
“I am thrilled at the opportunity to serve Corporate One’s nearly 800 members, along with the hundreds of other credit unions served through Corporate One’s CUSOs,” Ms. Ashley said. “As I expressed to the Board, I am looking forward to working with them to drive a shared vision for Corporate One that continues its tradition of partnering with credit unions – helping them to succeed and creating new ways to drive value for them and for their members.”
