Welcome to our new Chief Lending Officer, James Hunter! We are thrilled to welcome James Hunter,
CUDE and
Credit Union Rockstar, as our new Chief Lending Officer!
James comes to Alternatives by way of New Orleans, where he most recently held roles as Executive Director of Real Estate Lending at
New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union, and Executive Director of
The Faith Fund, a nonprofit partnership that seeks to provide a financial hand-up to the underserved. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President for Mortgage Lending at
HOPE Federal Credit Union, where he provided leadership and direct oversight to HOPE’s mortgage division and strategic initiatives. Prior to joining HOPE, James managed the mortgage department for Arkansas Federal Credit Union, the state’s largest credit union.
James earned his undergraduate degree in Communication and Marketing from Western Illinois University, and is currently working towards his Master’s Degree in Policy.
In James’ own words:
"Too many people are so far away from the starting line. That’s why I have devoted my life’s work to moving the goalposts to ensure equity. Financial inclusion and empowerment are fundamental rights, especially for those who have either been traditionally underbanked, underserved, underinsured, and underappreciated. It is my sincere goal to ensure that everyone has an equal start, and that begins with mission-driven, service-based lending, financial planning, and inclusive visioning." James was recently among 39 credit union professionals in the nation selected as a “
Credit Union Rockstar" by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). We are excited he has arrived at Alternatives to bring his vision, experience, wisdom and passion to lead our dedicated staff.
We hope you’ll join us on
December 2nd for our Community Virtual Open House, to continue to help us welcome James to Alternatives and to our shared community.