OnPath Credit Union Announces Post-Merger Leadership Team

METAIRIE — OnPath Credit Union, as the result of its merger with Louisiana FCU, is proud to announce its new executive team that will lead the organization into a new era of growth and service. The merger, which was finalized on June 1, 2024, created the fourth-largest credit union in Louisiana with over $1 billion in assets and nearly 90,000 members.

The new executive team consists of the following professionals:

• Jared Freeman, Chief Executive Officer. Freeman has been the CEO of OnPath CU since 2020 and has nearly 20 years of experience in the credit union industry. He is a visionary leader who has spearheaded several strategic initiatives, such as expanding the credit union’s digital services, enhancing member education, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. Combining common sense with FinTech, market knowledge with automation, and general compassion with member experience, Freeman has poised the credit union for continued growth.
• Rhonda Hotard, President. Hotard began her career with Louisiana Federal Credit Union in 1994, previously serving in the United States Navy. She is a passionate advocate for the credit union movement and has been instrumental in developing and implementing programs that benefit the members and the community, such as financial literacy, community outreach, and social responsibility. As a Certified Credit Union Executive, Certified Financial Services Professional, and Credit Union Risk Management Expert, she currently serves on the Louisiana Credit Union League Board and the LCUL Foundation Committee.
• Elia Diaz-Yaeger, Chief Legal Officer. The most recent executive to join the OnPath team, Diaz-Yaeger has been named Chief Legal Officer after previously acting as a Shareholder at Lugenbul, Wheaton, Rankin, and Hubbard. Her primary areas of practice have been industrial employment and commercial litigation, insurance defense, environmental law, and Board Governance/Cybersecurity. She is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, a long-standing member of the Hispanic National Bar Association. She actively promotes diversity and inclusion of Women and Hispanics in the legal profession through various professional organizations.
• Kristen DeDual, Chief Operations Officer. As the COO, DeDual joined the credit union in 2014 and is responsible for executive-level collaboration, strategic planning, execution, and operational efficiencies – functions focused on ensuring the credit union’s growth, member experience through digital and retail channels, and continued enhancement of products and services.
• Darlene Gibson, Chief Financial Officer. Gibson brings more than 20 years of financial and managerial accounting experience to the credit union. Prior to her start at OnPath CU, she worked as the VP of Finance at Essential Federal Credit Union and the AVP/Controller for Campus Federal Credit Union both in Baton Rouge, LA. She oversees managing the credit union’s financial performance, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
• Thomas Aleman, Chief Administrative Officer. Aleman joined OnPath CU in 2023 and currently oversees strategic planning, strategic initiatives, growth and profitability, and Human Resources. Aleman previous experience includes Corporate One FCU where he was the AVP of Key Accounts.
• Kevin Plaisance, Chief Information Officer. Since 2022, Plaisance has overseen all aspects of IT security, infrastructure, operations, core processing, data analytics, business intelligence, and robotic process automation. Prior to joining the credit union, Kevin directed the IT engineering vertical at Iberia Bank/First Horizon Bank for over a decade.
• Candace Washington Theodore, SVP Member Engagement. Theodore joined the credit union in 2015 and has over two decades of marketing, communication, and business development experience both in the non-profit and for-profit sectors. She also serves as the president of the OnPath Foundation and leads the credit unions’ philanthropic and community impact initiatives.
• Ross Talbert, Chief Lending Officer. Prior to joining the OnPath CU team as the Chief Lending Officer Ross served as the Chief Experience Officer at Louisiana FCU where he oversaw all aspects of the member experience across multiple business channels, including lending, operations, and business services. He has over 14 years of experience in the credit union and financial services industries including Mainstreet Credit Union and Arkansas FCU.
• Melissa (Missy) Matherne, Chief Accounting Officer. In the merged organization, Matherne oversees the accounting, compliance, and risk management functions of the credit union. Matherne has experience in the same capacity at other credit unions in the prior twenty-two years with a total of more than 33 years of credit union and other industry experience in accounting and auditing. She is a certified public accountant and holds certifications as a Credit Union Enterprise Risk Management Expert (CUREME) and Certified Credit Union Investments Professional (CCUIP).

The new executive team is committed to delivering the best possible service and value to the members of OnPath Credit Union, and to fulfilling the credit union’s mission of improving the financial lives of the people and communities they serve.