Board of Directors
Meet TruWest’s Board
Board Members work to further the goals of TruWest Credit Union by focusing on member and community needs. They listen to members and discuss ways to improve their financial lives at each monthly Board meeting.
Rick O’Connor
Executive Committee Chairman
Rick is the Director of Finance and Compliance for Avnet’s Technology Solutions Division based in Tempe, Arizona. Prior to his position at Avnet, Rick worked at Motorola SPS for 13 years in various finance positions, including Internal Auditor, Manager of Accounts Receivable and Manager of Credit. He earned an undergraduate degree in Business Management from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree from Arizona State University.
Rick has served multiple terms on the TruWest Credit Union Board—previously as Chair of the Supervisory Committee.
Tom Cummiskey
Executive Committee Vice Chairman
Tom retired as the Global Logistics Finance Manager at Avnet. Previously, he worked for General Dynamics (formerly Motorola) for 30 years where his final position was Division Controller. He has a B.S. in Accounting, is a Certified Public Accountant (Retired), and has 37 years of experience in the financial industry.
Tom has been a TruWest member for 36 years and is completing his 35th year as a TruWest (formerly MECU-West) volunteer. He is completing his 20th year as Board Chairman. He is a Certified Credit Union Director and has completed the Credit Union National Association’s (CUNA) Volunteer Achievement Program. His leadership roles on the Board include Chairman of the Supervisory Committee, Treasurer, Vice Chairman and Chairman. He has also been a recipient of the Rose Mofford Credit Union Volunteer of the Year award given to just one Arizona credit union volunteer for individual distinguished services.
Tim Niesz
Executive Committee Secretary
Tim retired from Motorola in 2002 after serving the company for almost 39 years. During his time with Motorola he held a variety of leadership and manufacturing positions. He became the Human Resources (HR) Department Manager and moved up to VP and Director. Tim held international positions in manufacturing and HR, including VP and Director of HR for Asia Pacific. And, for the last five years with Motorola, he handled acquisitions, divestitures and joint venture formulation. Along with his extensive work experience, Tim holds a B.S. in Business Management with a primary focus in HR.
Scott Johs
Executive Committee Treasurer
Scott has been a volunteer with TruWest Credit Union for more than 15 years, including the past ten years serving on the Board of Directors and nine years as Chairman of the Supervisory Committee and Treasurer. Scott has a B.S. in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. He has worked in various finance roles and has significant experience with financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting; financial systems planning and implementation; and overall financial management. Although Scott’s current position is Finance Manager for General Dynamics Mission Systems, he has held various other finance management, planning and analyst positions in his 25+ years with Motorola and General Dynamics.
Susanna DeFranco
Susanna DeFranco graduated from Northern Arizona University with a B.S. in Accountancy in 2008. She began her accounting career in Phoenix as an external auditor for a national public accounting firm, where she gained experience across a number of industries: publicly traded companies, not-for-profits, construction companies, benefit plans, government agencies and small locally owned companies. Susanna was also part of a team contracted by the Office of the Comptroller of Currency to perform a Material Loss Review of a local bank that failed and had its assets seized by the FDIC.
In 2011, Susanna left public accounting to work in the Finance Department at General Dynamics C4 Systems. She spent her first two years in the Internal Audit Department performing everything from internal controls reviews to complex accounting reviews of a subsidiary. Recently, she hung up her auditing hat and took a position as a Financial Planning Analyst.
Susanna joined the TruWest Credit Union Advisory Committee in April 2012 and became part of the Supervisory Committee in 2015. Susanna has found it incredibly satisfying to be a part of an organization that gives so much back to its members. “I hope that I am equally helping to add to the TruDifference,” she says. When she is not busy helping add to the TruDifference or working as a Finance Analyst at General Dynamics, Susanna spends her free time with her husband chasing their toddler son around, trying out new recipes (she loves cooking), and hanging with friends and family.
David Holody
David currently serves as the Chief Audit Executive for Advanced Micro Devices and lives with his family in Austin, Texas. David has served in progressively responsible finance leadership roles throughout his 30 + year career at companies that include Ford Motor, Motorola, Freescale Semiconductor and now AMD. David has an MBA from Arizona State University and is both a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. David is an active community volunteer having served on the boards of various public charities located in Phoenix and Austin. David previously served as a board member for Truwest for a number of years prior to rejoining the board during the spring of 2018.
Jeff Homer
Jeff is currently Corporate Director of Environmental, Health and Safety for SUMCO USA. Before this role he was Senior Manager of Environmental, Health and Safety at General Dynamics and held similar positions for Motorola previously. Jeff also serves as a member of the Arizona Manufacturer’s Council. He is a past board member of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and formerly served as a member of the Arizona Emergency Response Commission’s Advisory Committee and Arizona’s OSHA Review Board.
Jeff has been a Truwest Credit Union Board of member since 2002.
Mike Moulton
Mike is the N. America Director of Finance for ALK-Abello, a Danish pharmaceutical company that focuses on the treatment of allergies. Prior to this he served as the CFO or VP of Finance for several Austin-based healthcare organizations and held increasingly responsible positions with Advanced Micro Devices and Motorola. Mike has served on the TruWest Board for fourteen years, with two of those years as Secretary. In addition, he serves on the boards of Marbridge Foundation and the Austin Chapter of Financial Executives International. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor.
Mike Vasko
After a 30-year career spanning many diverse accounting- and finance-related responsibilities, Mike is retired and serves in a volunteer position on the TruWest Credit Union Board of Directors. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Accountancy and upon becoming a Certified Public Accountant, worked as both an External Auditor and Assistant Controller before taking a financial compliance position with Motorola in Schaumburg, IL.
After relocating to Arizona in 1990, Mike worked for Motorola for 12 years before leaving to assist in the start-up of a successful Scottsdale human resources company, first as Accounting Manager then as Controller. His eight years there also included overseeing Risk Management. Prior to being a Board Member for TruWest, Mike served as Chairman of the Supervisory Committee.
Board Stipend
Our Board Members complete many crucial tasks in the direction and oversight of TruWest Credit Union. The amount of time they spend assuring that members’ best interests are acted on is significant, each and every month. Board Members are not paid a salary, but they do receive a modest stipend to reimburse them for their time, travel, materials and other expenses relating to their TruWest Board duties.