How we're governed
USALLIANCE is led by a dedicated executive team and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Each plays a distinct role in serving our members and shaping our future.
Executive Leadership
Leads day-to-day operations, executes strategic priorities, and ensures we deliver value to our members every day.
Board of Directors
Provides strategic oversight, protects member interests, and holds leadership accountable for the long-term success of the credit union.
Meet our leaders
Our executive team brings decades of combined experience in financial services, technology, and member operations to guide USALLIANCE forward.
Brett J. Wheeler
President & CEO
Brett was appointed President & CEO by the Board in June 2026. He brings more than two decades of credit union experience, including nine years with the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and nine years as Chief Financial Officer at USALLIANCE. Throughout his career, he has led key operational functions and played a leading role in the credit union's recent mergers. His leadership is centered on supporting members' financial well-being by strengthening USALLIANCE's product lineup, delivering service excellence, and maintaining exceptional value for members.
Carlos Fonseca
CMXO & EVP, Marketing & Experience
Carlos joined USALLIANCE in 2024 and is responsible for leading the development and execution of the credit union's brand, marketing, and member experience strategies across all contact channels and touchpoints. His work shapes how members connect with USALLIANCE at every stage, strengthening trust and consistency across the member journey. Prior to USALLIANCE, Carlos held senior global marketing, strategy, and consumer insights positions at Mastercard, MetLife, Coca-Cola, and Citibank. He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de Los Andes and an MBA from Georgetown University. He serves on the boards of Grameen Foundation, Lasell University, and Georgetown's McDonough School of Business.
Kevin Randall
CSIO & EVP, Strategy, Innovation & IT
Kevin leads enterprise strategy and oversees technology and innovation. Since joining USALLIANCE in 2012, he has also led e-commerce, marketing, risk management, payments, and deposit account services. Kevin has seen the industry from both sides: he worked in credit union technology, then moved to the vendor side at FIS/Memento, where he implemented fraud detection analytics and forensic accounting solutions at large banks and credit unions. He is passionate about the financial cooperative model and about using innovative technology to improve member service. Kevin holds a BBA from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an ScM from Brown University, as well as the Credit Union Executives Society (CUES) Certified Chief Executive (CCE) and Certified Innovation Executive (CIE) designations.
Alexander Schmidt
CLO & EVP, Lending Solutions
Alexander is responsible for Lending Solutions at USALLIANCE, encompassing the full life cycle of a loan: origination (consumer, specialty, real estate, and commercial), servicing, collections, and financial assistance. He has a risk management and underwriting background. Prior to joining USALLIANCE in 2016, Alexander worked for a community bank in the Southern Tier of New York. He is devoted to making a difference in each member's life throughout the lending process. He specializes in portfolio growth with an emphasis on stability and continual process improvement. Alexander holds the Credit Union Executives Society (CUES) Certified Chief Executive (CCE) designation.
Meet our Board of Directors
Elected by our membership, our Board of Directors volunteers their time and expertise to oversee USALLIANCE's mission, strategy, and financial health.
Carla M. Palma
Chair
Carla is an accomplished financial and governance leader with more than 30 years of executive experience. She currently serves as Board Chair and has held leadership roles on the Executive Compensation, Finance, Governance & Nomination, and Supervisory Committees. As Chair, Mrs. Palma works closely with the Board and executive team to strengthen USALLIANCE and position the credit union for sustained growth and long-term success.
Throughout her corporate career, Mrs. Palma held senior treasury and finance leadership positions with leading global organizations, including PepsiCo, IBM, and XPO Logistics. Her extensive experience encompasses financial strategy, liquidity and risk management, treasury operations, and large-scale strategic initiatives. She also served on a Federal Reserve Bank Working Group focused on electronic financial fraud and consumer protection.
Arthur Kentros
Vice Chair
Arthur recently retired as Vice President & Executive Counsel of Kyndryl, Inc., where he managed a team of lawyers in its legal department. He has extensive experience in complex transactions, dispute resolution, compliance, antitrust, and employment matters. Kyndryl became an independent, publicly traded company in November 2021 after it was spun off from IBM. His work at both IBM and Kyndryl has included leading efforts to increase efficiency and productivity through new legal service delivery models, with a proven track record managing large organizations in a matrixed environment.
William H. Lusk
Treasurer
Bill currently serves as Director of Finance for the Alliance for Positive Change, a NY City nonprofit providing outpatient services to people with chronic illnesses such as HIV, AIDs, and substance use. Prior to this position, Bill spent 32 years with IBM Corporation in a variety of positions, including treasury management, insurance, technology licensing, M&A, planning, and budgeting.
Todd A. Paschke
Secretary
Todd began his 30-year career with Marriott in Toronto, Canada, and went on to work in Finance & Accounting across Marriott's U.S. locations. Since 2019, he has served as Vice President of Finance, Consumer Operations, Global Brand & Marketing for Marriott Global Finance. Todd served on the Board of Marriott Employees Federal Credit Union as Treasurer and Secretary, and joined the USALLIANCE Board of Directors in 2023.
Ellen R. Dulberger
Director
Ellen spent her career with IBM Corporation, serving more than a decade each in economic research, business strategy, and enterprise risk management. Her research influenced measurement of capital investment in the U.S. economy, and her strategy work contributed to early insights into cloud computing. She was the first to hold the board-created role of Vice President, Enterprise Risk Management. Ellen holds a BA in Economics from Queens College, CUNY, and a PhD in Economics from The Graduate Center, CUNY.
Paul Gravenese
Director
Paul serves as Treasurer & Deputy CFO at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He is responsible for leadership and management of global Treasury activities and services for UNDP, UN Capital Development Fund, UN Women, UN Population Fund, as well as other UN agencies. Paul is a financial services professional who has worked for a small accounting firm, a Wall Street firm, and two Fortune 20 multinational corporations, and is currently at UNDP.
Dr. Loretta Ovueraye
Director
Loretta serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Seminole State College and brings extensive leadership experience in higher education. She previously spent over 20 years at Miami Dade College and Baton Rouge Community College, holding roles including department chair for Biology, Health, Wellness, and Funeral Service Education, Dean of Faculty at MDC Padrón Campus, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, and Vice Provost for Workforce Programs and Professional Learning.
Thaddeus Shepherd
Director
Thad currently serves as Global Officer, Compensation & Benefits for Marriott International, Inc., leading the company's total rewards strategies to attract and retain top talent. Marriott's total rewards programs include base salary, incentives, paid time off, stock compensation, retirement and pension plans, and health insurance. Thad also oversees executive compensation, aligning with the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the company's board of directors.
Meet our Supervisory Committee
Our Supervisory Committee is made up of volunteer members who independently review USALLIANCE's financial practices and internal controls, helping ensure the credit union operates safely and in our members' best interest.
Chanel V. Smith
Volunteer, Supervisory Committee Chair
Chanel serves as a Senior Claims Specialist with Seneca Insurance Company. She is a licensed insurance claim professional managing general liability, environmental, and product recall claims, both litigated and non-litigated, involving small and medium sized commercial exposures. Prior to joining Seneca, Chanel worked with Westchester, A Chubb Company as Senior Claims Specialist. She began her professional career as a certified paralegal for Progressive Insurance, Harwood Loyd, LLC and Melvin D. Marx, P.A. Chanel joined the USAlliance FCU Supervisory Committee in 2022 and has served as an Advisory Committee Member for Dora Financial.
Carl Itoka
Volunteer, Supervisory Committee Member
Carl serves as the Vice President of Internal Audit for ESAB Corporation, a world leader in connected fabrication technology and gas control solutions. ESAB is a global provider of advanced equipment, consumables, gas control equipment, robotics, and digital solutions. He is a Certified Public Accountant with 20+ years of experience across multiple industries including Financial Services, Healthcare, Technology, Hospitality and Manufacturing. He worked for a big four public accounting firm, the largest hospitality company globally and is currently at ESAB Corporation.
Michelle Royster
Volunteer, Supervisory Committee Member
Michelle is a Senior Director in the Global Finance organization at Marriott International. In this role, she leads a team responsible for end-to-end accounting and reporting of Marriott's capital investments, including Capitalized Project Costs, Third-party Loans and Guarantees, as well as Intercompany Loan activities worldwide. She is a certified public accountant in the state of Maryland with over 30 years' experience in Corporate Finance.
Mark O'Connor
Volunteer, Supervisory Committee Member
Mark joined Marriott International, Inc. in 2000 and held a range of leadership positions in finance, accounting policy, and SEC reporting before retiring in early 2025. Prior to Marriott, he held key financial positions with Seacoast Utility Authority for fifteen years. Mark earned his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accounting degrees from Florida Atlantic University and is a Certified Public Accountant and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He has volunteered for over 15 years with SunFest of Palm Beach County, Inc., serving on its Board of Directors, and currently volunteers with St. Anne Community Outreach, a homeless resource center in West Palm Beach, FL. Mark and his husband Scott divide their time between West Palm Beach, FL and Rehoboth Beach, DE.