Meet Our Leaders

Jonathan W. Roberts, our President and CEO, joined HVCU in September 2022. He brings over 30 years of financial services experience to our cooperative and has a passion for empowering teams, building culture, collaboration and accountability. 

Today, Jonathan serves on the Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council (CDIAC) to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is a Board Member for the New York Credit Union Association (NYCUA), Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, and ChildFund International.  

Jonathan previously held executive leadership roles across several well-respected institutions, including Webster Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Citizens Bank, FNB Corp, and Santander North America. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati and Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Jonathan is also an alumnus of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Melissa Evans, our Chief Human Resources Officer, joined HVCU in January 2025. With more than 20 years of experience as a Human Resource leader, she dedicates her profession to fostering thoughtful collaboration, building genuine relationships and meaningful strategic partnerships that support talent development and guide teams through adversity and change.  

Melissa previously served as Senior Vice President, Human Resource Manager, at Webster Bank, where she held several leadership roles reflective of her adaptability and knowledge of people-centric operations within financial services. She studied psychology and sociology at Central Connecticut State University and holds certifications in human resources management. In the community, Melissa devoted more than two decades of service to the United Way of Meriden-Wallingford, including her time as a Board member.

John Fede, our Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, joined HVCU in May 2023. Dedicated to balancing business, member and employee experiences with solutions that foster accessibility and simplicity for all, John brings more than three decades of experience from diverse industries, including accounting, academic publishing, telecommunications, and financial services.  

He previously served as Senior Vice President of Technology Services at Ent Credit Union in Colorado and also held the title of IT Infrastructure Director with KPMG. John earned his bachelor’s degree in natural resource science from Rutgers University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland.  

Amy Jakobeit, our Executive Vice President and Chief of Member Operations,  joined HVCU in November 2023. She leverages her more than three decades of experience leading teams, transforming business models, and building strong results to bring excellent service to members and improved processes for our teams. 

 Amy previously served as the Senior Managing Director, Head of Residential & Consumer Lending at Webster Bank. In addition to her degree in business administration and management from Tunxis Community Technical College, she is a graduate of the Consumer Bankers Association’s Executive Banking School and holds an Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) designation from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s School of Mortgage Banking. In the community, Amy has dedicated more than 20 years of service to the United Way of Meriden-Wallingford, including her time as Board President.  

Chris Kieffer, our Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, joined HVCU in January 2023. His career spans more than 30 years in financial services, bringing expertise in impactful strategies to drive modernization and transformation. His responsibilities also include leading the organization’s corporate development, project management, and Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) strategies.  

Prior to joining HVCU, Chris served as the Chief Operating Officer at Scott Credit Union in Illinois and held several senior leadership roles with First Bank in Missouri for nearly two decades. He studied finance and business administration at Maryville University in Missouri and holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation from the internationally accredited Project Management Institute. 

Rick Lionhood, our Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer, joined HVCU in April 2023. Dedicated to the development and empowerment of retail teams across our field of membership, Rick brings more than 25 years of solution-oriented financial services expertise to HVCU centered on authentic, people-center priorities. 

He is the former Head of the Retail Branch Network at Webster Bank and has served in various leadership roles at leading institutions, including Santander Bank as the Director of Retail Network Distribution and Support. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Eastern Illinois University, and an Executive Banking Degree from ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking, with leadership accreditation from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  

Johanna Robbins, our Deputy Chief Financial Officer, joined HVCU in March 2024. With more than three decades of experience in the credit union sector and accounting, she brings vast industry expertise on financial strategies that drive thoughtful growth, organizational soundness, and strategic transformation.   

A longstanding member of senior management teams across the financial services sector, Johanna most recently served as Chief Financial Officer at Sunmark Credit Union and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, with a concentration in federal taxation and philosophy, from Le Moyne College.

Mark Timmerman, our Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, joined HVCU in May 2017. He holds more than 30 years of expertise in legal, risk and compliance governance to lead sound operations across the credit union.  

Previously, Mark held several leadership roles with Anchor Bank, including his role as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. He completed his education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master’s degree in business administration, and his Juris Doctorate. Mark holds his law license in Wisconsin and New York.  

Scott VanZandt, our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, joined HVCU in May 1997. His expansive leadership includes knowledge of financial strategies alongside facilities and physical security, which has positioned HVCU as a competitive and successful institution in the region. Today, Scott serves on the Board of Trustees for FOCUS New York and the Red Fox Club at Marist University. 

He has over 28 years of experience strengthening credit union operations at HVCU, serving in multiple leadership roles before becoming CFO in 2013. He holds a bachelor's in accounting from Mount Saint Mary College and a master's in finance from Marist College. 

Desiree Wolfe, our Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer, joined HVCU in May 2023. With more than 25 years of experience in product management and marketing across the financial services and technology industries, she brings a dynamic blend of strategic insight and innovative thinking to her leadership of the Human Resources, Marketing, Product Management, and Experience Administration teams. Together, these groups drive impactful experiences for employees, members, and the community – reflective of HVCU’s core values and impact statement.  

Most recently, she served as Senior Director, Global Banking Industry Advisor at Salesforce and held several other leadership roles at well-respected institutions, including JPMorgan Chase, Fiserv, and Webster Bank. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a master’s degree from Columbia University.Close