Corning, NY- First Heritage Federal Credit Union has announced the promotions of three dedicated employees, Lindsay Cuda to Vice President of Marketing, Jeremy Fusare to Vice President of Human Resources/Training and Karen McGonigal to Senior Vice President of Information Technology.  In her new role, Cuda will be responsible for executing a cohesive marketing strategy to reach todays’ members as well as future members while being an advocate and community partner.  Cuda has also taken on additional supervisory roles for an expansive business development team and graphic designer all of whom she will work closely with.  As Vice President of Human Resources/Training, Fusare is responsible for setting, enforcing, and evaluating our human resources policies, procedures, and best practices, and identifying and implementing long-range strategic talent management goals. He collaborates with executive leadership ensuring our culture remains strong, that we recruit and maintain strong talent, and that succession planning is in place throughout the credit union.

Christine Francis, Senior Vice President shared this regarding the promotion of Lindsay Cuda, “I couldn’t think of a person more deserving of this promotion than Lindsay Cuda. Each day, Lindsay strives to be the best she can be and empowers those around her to do the same. First Heritage is very honored to have her as an integral part of our team!” Regarding Karen McGonigal’s recent promotion Francis said, “Karen’s dedication and commitment to the organization certainly shines through in everything she does.  Since joining the credit union in 2014 she has brought tremendous knowledge and expertise to many projects, implementations, conversions, all while assuring a high quality and standard for day-to-day operations.  Karen is a true champion of First Heritage, our team, and the credit union philosophy and we are grateful for her contributions.” Fusare’s promotion to Vice President of Human Resources/Training prompted this from Thomas Pisano, President and CEO, “Jeremy Fusare’s leadership and attention to detail has been critical to our success.  Jeremy is a true champion of First Heritage employees, consistently doing all he can to keep their best interest at the forefront.”

Cuda earned a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing and Management from Elmira College in 2002 and has been with the credit union for twenty years.  During her tenure, she has held a variety of positions within the organization with continued additional responsibilities. Cuda began her career with varying degrees on member service responsibilities and later started First Heritage’s first contact center as Member Contact Center Manager.  Cuda later served as eServices Manager, Digital Services Manager, and was promoted to Marketing Director in 2018 and then Assistant Vice President of Marketing in March of 2022.

Fusare is a twenty-year veteran of the credit union industry serving in many roles such as lending, management, training and recruiting.  Joining First Heritage in 2017 as a Training Manager, Fusare brought a plethora of information and knowledge and was subsequently promoted to Human Resources Director in 2020. 

McGonigal has a degree in accounting, and more recently earned a degree in Business Administration with a focus in Management from Elmira College in 2012.  She has been working at First Heritage for eight years in IT management roles, and has held previous IT, project management, and management related roles in the credit union, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. Leveraging experiences from a career that started as a Credit Union Teller, moving through various technology positions, and managing several IT implementations, McGonigal brings significant experience and expertise in operational efficiencies, stability, and security.

Cuda, Fusare and McGonigal share sentiments of excitement and optimism regarding their perspective promotions.  Cuda said, “I am incredibly excited to begin this new position with First Heritage. The credit union has been a huge part of my life and I am thrilled to continue to grow within the organization.” Cuda added, “I look forward to continuing to provide exceptional service to our members and the communities in which we operate.”  Fusare stated, “I am thrilled and honored to be starting this new position at First Heritage. I wholeheartedly believe in the credit union movement and ideals and feel this position will help me support those initiatives. I am also very passionate about people development and just like how First Heritage provides exceptional service and benefits to our members, I want our employees to feel the same while working here.” McGonigal states, “I am thrilled to continue working with a great team of people each and every day, focusing on enhancing member experience, by improving the tools and automation needed to support staff and members transactional experiences.  I am fully dedicated to the health and wellbeing of our members, and efforts to maintain a stable and secure environment for their financial service needs.”

To learn more about First Heritage Federal Credit Union, please visit: https://www.fhfcu.org/

About First Heritage Federal Credit Union

First Heritage Federal Credit Union is a community-chartered credit union that serves more than 45,000 members in an eleven-county region including Allegany, Chemung, Livingston, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Yates Counties in New York and Bradford, Lycoming, Potter, and Tioga Counties in Pennsylvania.