OUR TEAM

Víctor Miguel Corro, CEO

As CEO of Coopera, Victor promotes Coopera’s approach to serving Hispanics throughout the credit union industry. This comprehensive approach has helped credit unions and credit union industry organizations position themselves for long-term growth by serving Hispanics.

With more than 20 years’ experience working with credit unions on a global scale, Victor has a proven history of finding solutions to industry challenges through collaboration. He joins Coopera from the World of Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) where he served in a variety of roles for the past two decades. Most recently, Victor was vice president of member services, education and training. As such, he managed the organization’s worldwide partnerships program, helping its more than 90 international members realize measurable value for their membership. Victor assisted in directing WOCCU’s membership communications and engagement strategy, through which he designed strategy to drive adoption and transition to digital touch points.

Victor, a certified Credit Union Development Educator, has consulted with the Credit Union National Association, as well as Coopera, on product strategy and culturally relevant translation of materials for new markets. He serves on the Member Advisory Experience board committee for Summit Credit Union in Madison, Wisc. and is an associate board director for Blackhawk Community Credit Union in Janesville, Wisc. Corro is recognized as a global credit union industry expert and is a frequent speaker within the worldwide credit union movement.

Victor came to the U.S. from Panama as a teenager to study at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on a Fulbright Scholarship. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and Latin American studies, is an avid traveler and photographer and resides in Wisconsin with his wife and two children.

Kenia Calderon, Client Relations Director

As Client Relations Director for Coopera, Kenia works closely with the client relations team to assist client organizations in implementing Hispanic growth strategies. She coordinates client delivery workflow, assists in the product development process and represents Coopera at industry events. 

Prior to joining Coopera, Kenia assisted the Hispanic community with aspects of the immigration process at American Friends Service Committee. She also previously served as an emerging markets intern and project assistant at Coopera. Kenia is a recent graduate of Drake University with a degree in Management and a concentration in Entrepreneurship.

A native of El Salvador, Kenia has been a tireless advocate for Latinos, for the undocumented community and those with DACA status (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as Dreamers). Kenia’s advocacy work has garnered substantial local and national media attention. In 2015 she was named one of the “15 people to Watch in 2015” by the Des Moines Register, in 2016 she was named an Iowa International Center Passport to Prosperity Honoree and in 2017 she was named a Women to Watch by CU Times.

Kenia is a graduate of the 2014-2015 Latina Leadership Initiative and 2017 Adams Academy cohort. During her time at Drake she co-founded three student organizations: La Fuerza Latina, UNITY Roundtable, and Drake’s Women in Business. She enjoys writing about the topics she is passionate about such as the development and growth of the Hispanic community, immigration, and access to higher education. A few of Kenia’s pieces have been published by The New York Times, Huffington Post, and The Des Moines Register.

Tania Perez, Client Support Analyst 

As Client Support Analyst, Tania engages in Coopera's product development and quality assurance while working on assessments and analytics to help clients leverage insights for credit union growth This includes assessments and analytics reports, consulting, training, marketing services, and translations. Tania works closely with the Client Relations team and assists with the coordination of client communications, new-client onboarding processes and fulfillment of client requests.

Prior to joining Coopera, Tania worked at State Farm Insurance and the Attorney General’s Office of Iowa in sales, customer service and support roles. Tania’s professional and educational background, as well as her bicultural understanding and bilingual skills are a great asset to Coopera and its clients. 

Among Tania’s recent accomplishment is the founding of two first-ever Latino organizations on the campus of Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa: a local chapter of the Latina sorority Sigma Lambda Gamma Eta Zeta and Latinos Unidos, a student-run organization dedicated to educating students about Latino culture and diversity. She has also served as an assistant teacher for Trinity United Methodist Church in Des Moines, helping individuals who recently arrived the U.S. learn English. Tania is a graduate of Simpson College with majors in political science and Spanish and resides in Des Moines, Iowa.

Yaneth Torres, Client Support Specialist

As Client Support Specialist, Yaneth supports the delivery and fulfillment of Coopera's products and services. This includes assessments and analytics reports, consulting, training, marketing services, and translations. Yaneth works closely with the Client Relations team and assists with the coordination of client communications, new-client onboarding processes and fulfillment of client requests.

Prior to joining Coopera, Yaneth worked as an Administrative Assistant at El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant in Hawaii. She has many years of customer service experience that has strengthened her interpersonal and leadership skills.  

Yaneth is a recent Grand View University graduate with her degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing. During her attendance at Grand View, Yaneth was a member of the Multicultural Student Ambassadors Leadership, Diversity Alliance Club, Phi Beta Lambda Business Club, and Viking Volunteers. She also served as a mentor to Hispanic high school students at East High School in Des Moines.

George Poitou, Consultant

As a Consultant for Coopera, George focuses on consulting topics such as Hispanic outreach and immgrant lending programs. George is a native of Cuba and recently retired as the Chief Operating Officer of SCE Federal Credit Union based in Irwindale, CA. He is also the founder and the Chairman of the Board for the Center for Financial Empowerment, a non-profit institution focusing on offering financial literacy classes to underprivileged and minority students, local employee groups and the community in general.

George served as the President of Community Mortgage Funding (CMF); a CUSO that provides a full menu of mortgage-related products and services to credit unions. He is also the Chairman of the Board for Members Business Services (MBS); a CUSO that offers a full menu of business services to Credit unions.

Prior to joining SCE FCU, he spent 10 years with the California Credit Union League as Vice-President of the Compliance/Custom Training and Research/Information Departments. George has managed various credit unions, served in a management capacity at a number of for-profit financial institutions, and was a credit union board member. 

George was awarded the 2002 California Credit Union League’s prestigious Diversity award. In 2015, he was awarded the Distinguished Service award by the California Credit Union League and was inducted into the U.S. Credit Union’s House of Leaders. He is a frequent speaker at credit union conferences and seminars; speaking on issues ranging from regulatory compliance, lending strategies and policies, asset/liability management, and credit union philosophy. George regularly facilitates strategic planning seminars for credit unions of all asset categories. 

George is a Certified Credit Union Chief Executive Officer and a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE). He holds a BA degree from California State University Fullerton, as well as a professional designation in Credit Union Management from U.C.L.A.

 

Meet the AMC Board

 

Murray Williams - Chairman & CEO, Affiliates Management Company
 

Murray Williams is the CEO and Board Chairman of Affiliates Management Company. He also serves as the President and CEO of the Iowa Credit Union League. In this position, he provides governance oversight as the Chairman of  TMG Financial Services, PolicyWorks and Coopera. Murray has been with ICUL and its family of companies since 1996. He earned his Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation through the American Society of Association Executives and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive Program. Murray received his MBA and a BA with honors from Iowa State University. He has served on the CUNA Strategic Services board along with other industry leadership roles. 

Murray has been inducted into the International Executive Volunteer Corps for the World Council of Credit Unions and is a recipient of the Leadership and Support Award by the Network of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals. He is former chairman of the national Public Relations Society of America's Association/Nonprofit Section and is active in his local community, including serving on the Des Moines Social Club board of directors.

 

Monica Fischer - Consultant

 

Monica Fischer serves as a consultant to Iowa nonprofit organizations as a representative for a private charitable foundation that provides anonymous financial investment in the human and social services sector. Prior to beginning this work in 2006, Monica served for more than 12 years in state government, including as Deputy Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, Communication Director for the Iowa Finance Authority and Press Secretary in the Office of the Governor. She is active with the Iowa Council of Foundations and the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines and has served on several nonprofit boards. She received her Master of Public Administration from Southern Illinois University and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa.

 

 

Brent Helin - CEO, Des Moines Metro Credit Union

 

Brent Helin serves as the CEO of Des Moines Metro Credit Union. Helin joined Des Moines Metro Credit Union in 1992 as the executive vice president, and became the CEO in 2004. He has served as a board member for Iowa Credit Union League since 2009 serving as the finance committee chair, governance task force chair and most recently as vice chairman. He also formerly served as a board member of Community Business Lenders. He earned his baccalaureate degree from Drake University as was designated as a Certified Credit Union Executive in 2009.

 

 

Bob Hoefer - Strategic Consultant, Dupaco Community Credit Union

 

Bob Hoefer is strategic consultant to the Dupaco Community Credit Union Board of Directors. He retired as Dupaco president/CEO in 2012, after more than 48 years of service to the credit union. Hoefer is an honorary director and past board chair of the Iowa Credit Union League and has provided service to the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Renaissance Commission and Governmental Affairs Committee, Credit Union Executives Society (CUES), National Association of State Credit Unions, Filene Research Institute, and was an Iowa Governor appointed past board member of the Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation. He currently serves on the TMG Financial Services Board of Directors. He has been recognized for his leadership of a Top 5 Iowa employer in 2011 by the Des Moines Register, named Boss of the Year by the Dubuque Jaycees in 2006. In 2005 Hoefer was inducted into the CUES Hall of Fame, in 2001 was recognized with the Iowa Credit Union League Cooperative Spirit Professional Award, and was named the first-ever Iowa CUES Manager of the Year in 1985. In 2011, he was named the CUES Outstanding Executive, an award presented for excellence in leadership.

 

Tom Kuehl - Consultant

 

Tom Kuehl has been active in the financial services industry in Iowa for more than 30 years most recently serving as president and CEO of The Members Group (TMG). He also served chief operating officer of AMC from 2008-2011 and as the president of Iowa Corporate Central Credit Union from 1981 to 2008. Before joining TMG, Kuehl worked for Postal Finance Company and First National Bank in Sioux City, Iowa. He graduated from Briar Cliff College in 1974 and served in the United States Army from 1966 to 1969.

 

 

 

Helen Pearce - CEO, Cedar Falls Community Credit Union

Helen Pearce serves as CEO of Cedar Falls Community Credit Union, where she held various prior positions in her 33 years serving the credit union members. Pearce served as president of Iowa’s Black Hawk Chapter of credit unions, a member of the ICUL Board of Directors and as Vice President of the Iowa Credit Union Foundation Board of Directors. She is currently chair of the ICUL Board of Directors.

 

 

 

Vada Grantham - CEO, Abidica

Vada and his wife started their first company in 1987 in the food promotion industry where they provided food samples in the supermarkets and Cosco stores for a client list of General Mills, Keebler, Pillsbury, Nabisco, Kraft and more. They sold the company in 1999 with over 500 employees in eight Midwestern states. Today, Vada is a major shareholder in a full-service research firm located in downtown Des Moines and CEO of Abidica, a consulting firm with headquarters in Des Moines, IA and operations in West Africa (Cote d’ ivoire/Ivory Coast) where they specialize in real estate development and mining. Vada is also a professor at DMACC where he teaches business courses. He received a BA degree in Business from Grand View College in 1987. He has mentored and judged numerous investor start-up business competitions for the private and public sector.