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Across the credit union, employees give their best every day, working to craft extraordinary experiences for our members. These 18 individuals transcended even that high bar and were nominated by their peers to receive the Sunward Values and Leadership awards.
President and CEO Steph Sherrodd also personally selected one person to receive the prestigious President’s Award, the organization’s top honor.
President’s Award
Donavan Silva, Branch Manager, Cottonwood
After receiving the most nominations in every category, Donavan was selected for the President’s Award because of his exemplary leadership, humility, and heart. Whether it’s mentoring other employees or jumping in to help on a teller station, no task is too big or small for Donavan. Even on off days and in his spare time, Donavan participates in community events and is a ready support for his team, showing true commitment to the cooperative spirit. This willingness to serve and authentic care for others curates an open, welcoming culture—which is felt by members, employees, and fellow leaders alike.
Leadership Awards
Dennis Wood – Vice President, Head of Innovation
Dennis played a critical role in the successful conversion of two former Mountain America branches into the Sunward family, serving as a steady and meticulous leader when data accuracy was foundational to success. As a leader, Dennis sets a high bar for himself and others, modeling our values through curiosity and accountability. He is deeply invested in his team and helping them see their direct impact on Sunward members.
Frances Chavez – Manager, Mortgage Underwriting
Under Fran’s leadership, Sunward’s underwriting team has become the best in the industry. She leads with a combination of technical knowledge, compassion, and high expectations. Her team not only meets those expectations—they rise to them—because Fran empowers them to grow and supports them every step of the way. She constantly seeks ways to help our members achieve financial stability all while protecting the credit union with responsible underwriting decisions.
Ruth Davis – Investment Client Supervisor, Members Financial
Ruth’s leadership is defined by her adaptability, advocacy for her team, and relentless focus on results. Ruth introduced several impactful improvements in 2025 to streamline workflows and facilitate collaboration. Beyond process improvements, Ruth consistently activates her team for outbound initiatives. Most recently, she deployed three Members Financial Services (MFS) employees to join the Tiger Team deposit initiative, supporting Sunward’s goal of $30 million in deposits. Ruth personally stepped in to take calls and serve members, demonstrating her willingness to lead by example.
Sue Yushchuk – Director, Retail Performance and Strategy
In the short time Sue has been with Sunward, she has made a significant impact on the retail team by driving progress and creating tools that empower frontline teams. Sue’s guidance has not only improved operational efficiency but also strengthened employees’ ability to create extraordinary experiences for our members.
Community Awards
Kori Szabo-Smith – Finance
Kori embodies the standard of leadership that Sunward’s Community Engagement program stands for. He shows up consistently—whether volunteering at the Lobo Cancer Challenge, serving meals at Ronald McDonald House, or supporting Girls on the Run and Explora. What sets Kori apart is his initiative. He often reaches out before opportunities are widely shared, asking: “How can I help?” His proactive mindset reflects leadership by choice, not assignment, setting a sterling example with his courage, empathy, and integrity.
Values Awards
Put Our Members First
Katie Castro, Special Assets
Since joining the Loss Mitigation team in November, Katie has displayed impressive dedication, empathy, and performance. She brings the cooperative spirit to life with a deep understanding of how to take care of members in times of need, providing personalized solutions for those in difficult situations. Katie takes initiative, working proactively with other departments to obtain clarification and resolve member concerns, showing her commitment to the wellbeing of members and the success of her team.
Sammi Hughes-Hobbs, Application Development
Sammi puts members first in every aspect of her work. She approaches software development with a user-centric mindset, extending beyond basic functionality to focus on security and member value. In developing Sunward+, Sammi implemented solutions that ensure members receive the benefits they deserve, and she’s also helped protect member data in her evaluation of AI usage. Through these efforts and more, Sammi has shown dedication to developing technology that is secure and beneficial to those we serve.
Sonya King, Mortgage
Sonya is a motivated self-starter whose process enhancements elevate the member experience. Her focus on improving the member journey showcases an unstoppable drive to improve while her can do attitude reflects Sunward’s core values in action. Not only have these improvements benefitted Sonya’s colleagues and Sunward members, but they’ve also yielded substantial financial impact. Sonya helped the mortgage sales team crush their annual goal by funding 459 loans totaling almost $310 million in 2025.
Do the Right Thing
Francisco “Cisco” Casillas, Branch Supervisor, Los Lunas
Francisco exemplified the idea of “Do the Right Thing” with his community service following the Los Lunas fires in June of 2025. These devastating fires burned more than 237 acres in the Rio Grande bosque, displacing more than 1,300 residents. Francisco used his Volunteer Time Off to serve alongside local cleanup crews, removing debris, cleaning homes, and helping restore a sense of normalcy. By choosing action over convenience, Francisco demonstrated what it means to live Sunward’s values.
Maria Trujillo, Retail Operations
During 2025 escheat reporting, the credit union was looking at a very large sum for sending unclaimed or abandoned funds to the state, which members stood to lose. Maria took the initiative, going beyond the mandatory letters with phone calls, emails, and hours of research to find members and return their money. Through this extraordinary effort, Maria reunited over 95% of the funds—totaling $1,221,788.88—back to members. In so doing, Maria ensured that $1,188,008.35 remained with the credit union.
Amanda Johnston, Supervisor, Business Services
Amanda consistently exemplifies what it means to do the right thing, even when it requires extra effort. She played a pivotal role in implementing Sunward’s first business loan origination system (LOS), transforming fragmented processes into a streamlined workflow. Through steady leadership and proactive problem-solving, she helped position Sunward with a more efficient, member-focused business lending process.
Be Gritty, Be Accountable
Lauren Hyman, Accounting
Lauren demonstrates the value of “Be Gritty, Be Accountable” in every aspect of her work. When the accounting team faced an unexpected surge in workload ahead of a compliance deadline, she re prioritized, took on more responsibilities, and collaborated across departments to meet the requirements on time. This is just one example among many, with Lauren frequently volunteering for complex tasks, which she sees through with calm determination.
Sean Grovier, Mortgage
Sean is the definition of staying gritty and accountable. Through relentless effort and unwavering commitment, Sean assisted 120 families in securing funding for their homes to the tune of $86 million for our communities. Such an extraordinary level of performance is not accidental; it was earned through late nights, long days, and the discipline to stay focused when the work is demanding and the pressure is high.
Emily Klimek, Special Assets
Since joining the Loss Mitigation team in November, Emily has made a significant impact on the team with her remarkable optimism and accountability. Whether it’s utilizing her expertise to assist members or learning new material to help her team, Emily does whatever it takes to support those around her. Emily was the first to volunteer to work the late shift from 12-9pm, showing her willingness to contribute to the department’s success.
Be Better, Every Day
Brandon Day, Contact Center
Brandon is not only a top contributor—he’s a role model who raises the bar for what greatness looks like. In 2025, Brandon participated on the Outbound Deposits Tiger Team. From the start, Brandon embraced the Genesys outbound calling workflow, becoming a support for team members new to that environment. Brandon ultimately led the effort with the most outbound calls and was key in driving the team’s accomplishment of nearly $2 million in deposit commitments.
Russ Grube, Talent Development
Russ brings our value of “Be Better, Everyday” to everything he does. He’s a fearless Sunward advocate with a passion for educating new employees. Russ demonstrates exceptional teamwork through his willingness to cover sessions for other trainers and his unyielding support for departments across the organization. Russ was integral during the MACU conversion and the Durango branch opening, and was a positive, helpful presence at Animas East, Animas Central, Durango, and Livermore during the launch of SunPoint.
Courtney Counts, Communications
In just one year with Sunward, Courtney has transformed our social media presence. She blends creativity with strategy, finding new ways to engagement members through meaningful storytelling and accessible financial education. Courtney has visited nearly every branch to build relationships and elevate employee voices—not because she had to, but because she believes better work comes from listening and learning. She proactively solves problems, welcomes feedback, and lifts others along the way, making her a true embodiment of “Be Better Every Day.”
