Leadership

Kim Withers, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has a doctorate in banking and finance. She has served Meridian Trust since 1991, and has been CEO since 1994. During her tenure, assets have grown nearly 500 percent, branches have increased from two to nine, and hundreds of businesses and associations have partnered with the credit union. Withers served on the SunCorp Corporate Credit Union Board of Directors and has been involved with the Mountain West Credit Union Association. In 2013, she was selected as the First Place Winner of the Wyoming Business Report’s 2013 “Wyoming Women of Influence Award.” In 2007, she was named Credit Union Executive of the Year for credit union achievements and innovation, volunteer service and a continued commitment to education. Withers was the first person from Wyoming to be inducted into the Credit Union Executives Society (CUES) Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes her significant contributions to CUES and the credit union movement.

Bryan Thomas, Executive Vice President (EVP), joined Meridian Trust in July 2018. He was previously the vice president / chief lending officer at On Tap Credit Union in Golden, CO. Prior to working at On Tap, he was the vice president / chief administration officer at WyHy Federal Credit Union based in Cheyenne. In his new role at Meridian Trust FCU, he will be assisting CEO Kim Withers with the overall management of the credit union and moving the board’s strategic vision into a reality. Bryan has more than 23 years of leadership experience in the financial services industry. He received a Bachelor of Science degree, with emphasis in consumer science and business management, from Colorado State University. He is also a graduate of CUNA Finance School and the CUES CEO Institute. In his free time, Bryan enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife Casey and their four daughters Katelyn, Avery, Emma, and Wrigley.

Ed Beckmann, Chief Experience Officer (CXO), has been in financial services since 2000 and credit unions since 2002. His credit union experience includes serving as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at SunCorp Corporate Credit Union (now Alloya Corporate Federal Credit Union), followed by Elevations Credit Union in Boulder, CO prior to joining Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union in February 2011. He has over 35 years of experience in the fields of Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, Product Development and Communications. Ed has won more than 40 Awards for marketing excellence in the past decade. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Northern Illinois University.

Andrew Krois, Chief Information Officer (CIO), has over 15 years of experience in information technology and information security management. Andrew focuses on scalability, availability, process improvement and security of member and corporate information. Andrew has experience with SSAE16, FFIEC CyberSecurity, PCI, ISO27001/2 and HITRUST security frameworks. Andrew holds a Bachelors in Computer Information Systems and MBA in Technology Management.

Trevor Rutar, Chief Lending Officer (CLO), has over a decade of experience in financial services which spans consumer, mortgage, and commercial operations and lending. Rutar oversees the lending performance of Meridian Trust with a focus on overall portfolio growth, process improvement, and credit quality. Rutar has a M.B.A from the University of Notre Dame, a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Wyoming, and an A.S. in Business Administration from Casper College. He is a graduate of Leadership Laramie and Leadership Cheyenne. Rutar is an active member of the Cheyenne Rotary Club.

Joani Hafner, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), oversees accounting, compliance and risk management; as well as the two PowerTrust branches in Casper and Rock Springs.

Karen Woodul, Senior Vice President, has served Meridian Trust for over 15 years. She has developed the credit union’s technology from a simple segmented organization to a centralized network with leading edge applications and security. She has overseen two data processing system conversions. Woodul holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Regis University, Denver, Colorado and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont.

Susan Clark, Senior Vice President, began her career in credit unions in 1981. She has served in many areas including Controller, Compliance and branch management. Clark began her tenure with Meridian Trust in 1998 and is based at the Lander location. Clark holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Wyoming.