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CU Student Choice announces Denise Stevens as new Board Member

WASHINGTON, DC (June 10, 2024) — CU Student Choice, the leading provider of higher education financing solutions to America’s credit unions, announced that Denise Stevens, EVP and Chief Product Officer for Velera (formerly PSCU/Co-Op Solutions), has been appointed to the organization’s Board of Directors.

“Just as Velera has reinvented itself this year, Student Choice is in a period of transformation and growth,” said Scott Patterson, President and CEO of CU Student Choice. “Denise joins our Board as we are embarking on many innovative projects, ranging from dynamic technology solutions to exciting new lead generation capabilities. We’re excited for Denise to help drive continued growth for our CUSO and credit union partners.”

Stevens is responsible for product management, application development, and Emerging Services at Velera, where she returned in 2015 after serving as Executive Vice President at Vantage Credit Union in St. Louis, Mo. Prior to her tenure at the credit union, she spent seven years at Velera, and previously held leadership roles at Mastercard, Paymentech, and Equifax.

Stevens added, “Our company has been part of the Student Choice story since day one, and I look forward to helping shape future initiatives. After nearly 30 years in the financial industry, I am excited to serve in this new capacity and work alongside the expert credit union leaders on the Board.”

Stevens succeeds Tom Gandre, EVP and Chief Technology Officer for Velera, who served on the Board for eight years. Other Student Choice board members include Chairperson Kathy Duvall, President and CEO of SF Fire Credit Union; Andrea Mosher, Chief Lending Officer and SVP of Desert Financial Credit Union; Brian Volkmann, EVP and CFO of Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union; Jon Jeffreys, President and CEO of Callahan and Associates; and Scott Patterson.

About CU Student Choice

CU Student Choice is a credit union service organization (CUSO) that positions credit unions as leaders in education finance by offering a comprehensive solution that helps them deliver fair-value private education loans and corresponding financial education to students and families. To learn more, visit www.studentchoice.org.