Community First Credit Union Appoints SVP of Payments and Operations
Melissa Thomas to lead credit union’s strategic payment innovations and
enterprise project management
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 18, 2022 – Community First Credit Union, one of Florida’s largest credit unions with headquarters in Downtown Jacksonville, announces Melissa Thomas has joined the organization to lead its strategic payment program in a rapidly expanding payments marketplace. She will also manage fraud prevention, Banking Secrecy Act (BSA) compliance, records and enterprise project management. Thomas will serve as senior vice president of payments and operations.
Thomas brings more than 28 years of experience in credit union operations. She has managed large enterprise systems, complex projects and brings exceptionally strong payments experience to Community First. She previously served as SVP at another credit union where she was responsible for building the credit union’s operations, robust payment program, customer relationship management, core system, enterprise document imaging system, and fraud prevention.
Thomas is responsible for strengthening Community First’s payments strategy while planning for innovation and evolution in the rapidly expanding real-time payment realm. Real-time payments include digital applications and other back-end payment support for things like real-time cash transfer, integrated services, and payment choice. Services like digital wallets and contactless payments are just the start of the customer expectation and Thomas will manage strategic planning for the evolution of payment options.
“Community First is dedicated to offering local service with competitive products and services that rival the largest institutions,” said John Hirabayashi, CEO and president of Community First Credit Union. “As a seasoned payment professional, we’re honored to have Melissa’s leadership during this time of rapid growth and evolution in the payment and Fintech landscape.”
She is a leader in the credit union movement and currently serves on the board of ePayResources. She has also served on the PSCU (Payment Systems for Credit Unions) Financial Services Advisory Group for more than 10 years and served as chair of the Fiserv Accel/Exchange Network Board. Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management at St. Leo University. As a longtime Northeast Floridian, she’s involved in many community and volunteer organizations including the Leukemia Society, St. Johns Country Day School and the Youth Crisis Center and co-founded the Oakleaf Sports Association. Thomas was the 2021 Woman of the Year for the Leukemia Society.
Community First Credit Union of Florida is a state-chartered credit union based in Jacksonville serving anyone who lives or works on the First Coast. Community First is one of the largest credit unions in Florida with $2.6 billion in assets and serving 165,000 members. Community First has 19 locations and 355 employees. A not-for-profit, Community First is a full-service financial institution offering banking, loans, mortgages and investments for consumers and businesses across the First Coast.
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