Board of Directors

Board members volunteer to serve a three-year term and play an active role in governing the credit union at a higher level. They work with management to develop solutions that align with the credit union's mission, values, and guiding principles.

Juan Gonzalez

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Chairman

Bio

Mr. Gonzalez has been a member of Hughes Federal Credit Union for over 40 years. Juan earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's in Business Administration. He served in the US Armed Forces as a USAF Fighter Pilot before coming to Tucson.

Juan retired as a Senior Manager with more than 30 years of management experience in engineering design and development. He began his career at Hughes and then at Raytheon. He joined the Credit Union shortly after starting his work at Hughes and volunteered as a member of the Supervisory Committee.

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He served in the Supervisory Committee for 12 years, six of these as the Supervisory Committee Chairman. The Supervisory Committee work helped him understand the Credit Union operations. He was also exposed to the issues and concerns of the members. Juan was elected to the Board of Directors where he served for 31 years at Hughes Federal Credit Union. He was actively involved in numerous management committees. Juan understands and believes in the importance of the Credit Union Philosophy.

Juan welcomes the opportunity to continue to serve the Credit Union membership and board of directors.

Richard Miller

Richard Miller profile pic

Vice Chairman

Bio

Rich retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2010 after 20 years in active duty and guard status as an inventory management technician. From 1999 to 2007 he worked in accounting and finance for Raytheon Missile Systems. He moved to BE Aerospace in 2007 and worked for 12 years as a program finance manager. In 2019, he returned to Raytheon as a program integrator.

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Rich has an accounting and finance degree from Park University and an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix. Rich has been a member of Hughes Federal Credit Union for over 28 years. He has served on the Supervisory Committee and on the Board of Directors for the past 21 years. He has completed nine volumes in the Credit Union’s Volunteer Achievement Program. He reached two award levels and currently serves on the cyber security, education/marketing, facilities planning, and legislative committees.

Rich has enjoyed being a volunteer head coach on his son and daughter’s baseball, softball, and basketball teams for the past 15 years. He is dedicated to helping the Credit Union provide the best financial products and services to members and welcomes the opportunity to continue serving on the board.

Andrew Britton

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Treasurer,
President/CEO

Bio

Andrew served in the U.S. Air Force from 1984 to 1991. He then had a successful 32-year career in the credit union industry. Andrew joined the Hughes Federal Credit Union team in 2003 as the Collections Manager.

Andrew took on the additional responsibilities of consumer lending in 2006 when he was promoted to Lending and Collections Manager. During his tenure, Andrew helped navigate the Credit Union through challenging financial times, such as the Great Recession. He provided much-needed assistance to members.

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Andrew was promoted to Vice President of Lending in 2010. He was responsible for all consumer lending, mortgage, collections and loan servicing needs for the Credit Union. In 2011, Andrew implemented a loan growth strategy. It helped the Credit Union to grow from $294 million in member loan balances to over $1.7 billion as of year-end 2022. The 507 percent growth over the past 12 years has played a vital role in the Credit Union’s strength and stability. It has maintained a safe and sound environment for members to save and borrow.

Andrew has been on the Hughes Federal Credit Union Delinquent Loan Committee for 20 years. He has been a member of the Asset Liability Management Committee for 12 years. He also served on the Facilities Planning Committee.

Andrew was promoted to President of Hughes Federal Credit Union in April 2023 after former President Robert Swick retired. Andrew also serves as Treasurer on the Hughes Federal Credit Union Board of Directors.

Andrew's history is a testament to his commitment to the credit union philosophy of people helping people. He believes that success comes from the promise to make a positive difference in our members' financial lives.

David Ortega

Secretary

Bio

David has been a member of Hughes Federal Credit Union (HFCU) since 1991. He was first appointed to the Hughes Supervisory Committee in 2002. He served in various roles within the Supervisory Committee, including as the Supervisory Committee Chair. In October 2014, he was appointed to the board of directors. He became the Board Secretary after Roberta Reeves passed away. As the Board Secretary he is vigilant to ensure that the board operates by its bylaws for the benefit of its credit union members.

David also serves on the Executive Committee, Annual Meeting Committee, Budget Committee, and Facilities Planning Committee. He has also served on the Pima Community College Finance and Audit Committee. It was created by the PCC Governing Board to provide additional oversight. It monitors the college’s financial, audit, and investment-related performances, policies, and procedures.

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David brings over 30 years of experience in finance, accounting, and business management. He retired from Raytheon Missile Systems in 2014 where he worked as a Financial Analyst for various missile programs. He has also worked for the City of Tucson as a Finance Manager within the City of Tucson Budget Department. Mr. Ortega has a B.S. in Accounting and M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix

Mr. Ortega is a retired Master Sergeant of the United States Army Reserve where he served honorably for 25 years. He served two combat tours in Iraq under Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was awarded two bronze star medals for his combat service actions. He also served one combat tour in Afghanistan under Operation Enduring Freedom. He was awarded the NATO International Security Assistance Force medal.

David firmly believes in serving within his community. He is dedicated to helping Hughes Federal Credit Union grow and bring the best services and products to its members. He welcomes the opportunity to continue to serve on the Board of Directors.

Ashesh Bhalala

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Member

Bio

Ashesh Bhalala has been a member of Hughes Federal Credit Union for 36 years. Mr. Bhalala was a Senior Manager at Raytheon Missile Systems Company. He worked in engineering design and development from 1985 until his retirement in 2020. He is currently an active consultant at Raytheon and provides significant programmatic support on a major development project. He remains engaged with the many colleagues and friends he has established over the years at Raytheon.

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Mr. Bhalala received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arizona. He joined the Credit Union shortly after starting.

Charles La Due

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Member

Bio

Mr. La Due has been a member of Hughes Federal Credit Union since 1978 when he joined the Hughes Aircraft Company. In 2014, Mr. La Due was honored to be selected as a member of the Credit Union’s Supervisory Committee. The Committee oversees auditing the Credit Union’s many diverse financial functions, assuring its compliance with a wide variety of regulations. Over the last four years, Mr. La Due has been the Secretary of the Supervisory Committee.

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Mr. La Due has gained a unique, deep, and broad understanding of Hughes Credit Union’s role and responsibility. He represents, promotes, and assures the interests of the Credit Union’s membership and the community.

Mr. La Due has Bachelor’s and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering. He has a Master’s in Business and Administration, and a Master’s of Science in National Resource Strategy. At Hughes/Raytheon, he managed a multi-billion-dollar program and developed capture strategies to support national and international program acquisitions.

Charles was recently selected to fill a vacancy on the Hughes Federal Credit Union Board of Directors. He looks forward to continuing this exceptional opportunity to apply his breadth of education, management, and Credit Union experience. As a member of the Board, he will continue meeting the needs of the Credit Union’s membership and community.

Fabian Cordova

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Member

Bio

Mr. Cordova has over 29 years of experience providing leadership in all facets of internal operations. These include finance and accounting, IT and system integration, human resources, contract and risk management, and business and partnership development. His experience includes working with Fortune 500 companies performing complex financial audits and leading ERP implementation teams. He also had the privilege of serving in leadership roles in local public accounting firms. His work entailed managing client relationships, tax planning and financial statement preparation needs.

Fabian has served as the COO & CFO of the University of Arizona Alumni Association. He led the financial and internal operations of Clinical Outcomes Solutions (an international pharma-consulting firm). Mr. Cordova is now serving as CFO of early-stage aerospace technology companies, FreeFall Aerospace Inc. and FreeFall 5G Inc.

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Fabian graduated from the University of Arizona in 1994 with degrees in Accounting and Finance and received his MBA in 2009. He holds a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license and is a member of both the American Institute of CPAs and the Arizona Society of CPAs.

Committed to supporting the community and philanthropic efforts, Mr. Cordova also serves in leadership roles of locally based groups earning a Tucson 40 Under 40 Award in 2011. He serves as the chair of the Amphitheater School District Foundation. He is treasurer of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Oro Valley. He is a board member of the Marshall Foundation. He previously supported the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson, Lutheran Social Ministries (Phoenix), and Nogales Rotary Club. He was involved with the University of Arizona, including the New Start Fundraising Annual Dinner and the UA Hispanic Alumni Association.

Before his appointment to the Board of Directors, Mr. Cordova served as chair of the Hughes Federal Credit Union Supervisory Committee, a position he held since 2014.

Sharon Schaum

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Member

Bio

Sharon A Schaum is a dedicated and accomplished professional with over 30 years of experience in both the Aerospace and Defense industry and the Financial Banking industry.

Sharon is currently at Raytheon Missiles & Defense within the Supply Chain Management organization. During her 20-plus years, she has worked as a Production Control Manager, Material Program Manager, and is currently an International Supplier Performance Manager. Her experience ranges from working with international partners to developing and executing material strategies in support of program acquisitions. As a proven leader, she has successfully managed and motivated teams to exceed challenging goals and objectives.

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Sharon’s proven track record of success included various leadership positions throughout her banking tenure. These include Vice President of Retail Banking at Bank of America, NT & SA, and Assistant Branch Manager at Pima Savings & Loan. She has also been an Adjunct Faculty member at Pima Community College and the University of Phoenix.

Sharon is continuing her education towards a PhD in Organizational Leadership (currently ABD). She holds a Master of Business Administration in Organizational Management from Capella University. She also holds a Master of Business Administration in Global Management from the University of Phoenix. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

Jim Hall

Member

Bio

Jim completed both an undergraduate and advanced degree at the University of Arizona, where he developed a strong foundation in educational psychology and student support. Certified as a school psychologist, he served two local school districts for over nine years, helping countless students and educators navigate educational and emotional challenges. Jim then made a successful transition into the financial planning field. In 1992 he earned the Certified Financial Planner©️ designation and began a ten-year tenure with USAA Insurance Companies, advancing to Western Regional Director. Following this, Jim took on a leadership role at Hughes Federal Credit Union, where he managed the financial planning department for twelve years and retired as Vice President/General Manager.

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In retirement, Jim continued to contribute expertise to Hughes Federal Credit Union by joining the Board Supervisory Committee, where he served for seven years as member, secretary, and ultimately Chairman. In 2024, Jim was appointed to the HFCU Board of directors, actively contributing on the Cyber Security and New Business Committees.

Outside of his professional commitments, Jim enjoys golf and gardening, finding time to unwind outdoors. He is also committed to community service and volunteers regularly with the Community Food Bank, giving back to support those in need. Blending a wealth of experience in both educational and financial field, Jim brings a compassionate and strategic approach to every endeavor.

Supervisory Committee

The Supervisory Committee plays a pivotal role in ensuring operational transparency, rigorous compliance with regulations, and a focus on member feedback. Through active engagement and continuous staff training, the Supervisory Committee upholds the organization's stability and growth.

Kellie Terhune Neely

Chairperson

Linda Grigsby

Linda Grigsby profile pic

Board of Directors