Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) is proud to announce the addition of five new board and committee members following its recent merger with encurage financial network credit union (EFNCU) and partnership with the Leaders Network.
The new members are:
William Harlan, Director: Harlan has 35 years of experience financing and investing in middle market companies. The most recent 20 years have been spent investing at Kestrel Capital Group (KCG) which he co-founded, and Prism Capital which he joined in 2004. Harlan joined the board of First Financial Credit Union in 2014 and became its chairman in 2016. Beyond the credit union and portfolio companies, Harlan also provides advisory support to a several small businesses and has been active in other non-profit organizations as well.
Jamie Berra, Associate Director: Berra currently serves as the manager of strategic programs for Kofile, a critical records management company. She served as an encurage financial network credit union board member as treasurer on the Executive Committee until the merger with GLCU was finalized. Previous professional roles include commercial strategy manager, manager of global analytics and PSS procurement, and business analyst for S&C Electric Company, a $1 billion manufacturer of electrical power systems equipment. Berra also serves as Chicagoland Walk Chair for the non-profit Hydrocephalus Association.
Ira Acree, Associate Director: Acree is one of the founders of the Leaders Network, a prominent West Side-based organization that fights social injustice. As pastor for the Greater St. John Bible Church in the Austin community for over 30 years, Acree has been instrumental in awarding more than $400,000 in scholarships to local college students. He also started a first-time homebuyer seminar where the church donates $1,000 to new homeowners. Additionally, Acree provides public relations support for many local organizations and is a frequent guest speaker on civil rights topics at local universities.
Michael Gebhardt, Emeritus Director: Gebhardt launched a career in the credit union movement immediately after graduating college in 1968, working for Teletype Federal Credit Union. He was nominated to join the Board of Directors just four years later after serving a year on the Credit Committee. Since then, he’s served in many roles, including treasurer and secretary-treasurer on the Executive Committee, plus as a director on the Supervisory Committee, the ALM Committee, and the Benefits and Compensation Committee. Gebhardt is currently retired.
Dionne Lewis, Supervisory Committee Member: Lewis has decades of experience as a tax accountant and corporate tax field auditor. Currently, Lewis is a tax manager at S&C Electric Company, where she is responsible for strategic tax planning, tax policies, and tax advice. Aside from serving on GLCU’s Supervisory Committee, Lewis volunteers as a college access mentor for Chicago Scholars, and is a judge of election for the Chicago Board of Elections.
Additionally, GLCU is pleased to announce that longtime Director Jim March transitioned to emeritus director in June 2024. March began serving on the GLCU Board in January 2007 and has held various officer and committee positions during his tenure.
GLCU’s current Executive Committee members are as follows:
- Pat Price – Chair
- Kevin Leman – Vice Chair
- Cathy Corbi - Secretary
- Lee Piekarz - Treasurer
"GLCU is proud to welcome new volunteers to board and committee roles as we embark on our board-approved strategies. Due to GLCU’s pledge to amplify our commitment to our members in the communities we serve, these new volunteers come to GLCU through our collaboration and partnership with the Leaders Network and EFNCU," Price and GLCU President and CEO Steve Bugg said in a joint statement.
"In addition, we are extremely proud of our new GLCU Board officers who continue to dedicate their personal time to strategically lead our organization. Their knowledge, skills, dedication, and commitment to GLCU’s members, employees, and our communities is evident in how they lead our organization. We also want to thank those dedicated directors that have served in an officer role and are transitioning into new roles on the board. The success of GLCU is dependent on having a great board, and we both appreciate all their ongoing efforts and mission-based philosophy to guide us to even greater success in the future," they said.