Leadership At Verity

Nancy Woodland, Board Chair

Nancy Woodland currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors. Nancy serves as Executive Director for the Learning Communities Foundation, supporting early learning and racially just school systems. Nancy is a learner, lawyer and collaborator. She is not afraid to “do things differently” and is energized by Verity’s commitment and action to champion equity. Nancy has a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a JD from Loyola University in Chicago. Most of what she’s learned in life is from simply showing up… willing.

Michelle Pham, Vice Chair

Michelle Pham has served as a Verity board member since 2020 and previously served as a board associate. She chairs the Experience Committee and serves on the Finance, Nominations, and DEI committees. Michelle earned a BA in psychology and art history from the University of Washington and a JD from Seattle University School of Law. She is a partner at Seattle-based firm Helsell Fetterman LLP, and practices intellectual property law and commercial litigation. In her spare time, she coaches UW Law’s national mock trial team, serves as Chair of the Washington State Bar Association's Litigation Section, and enjoys cooking and traveling.

Nick Etscheid, Secretary

Nick Etscheid currently serves as Board Secretary and sits on the Finance, Executive, and Technology/Experience committees. He is a senior real estate development manager for Amazon Web Services, directing billions of dollars in IT services spend. As a credit union member from a young age, he eagerly participates in the credit union movement and believes wholeheartedly in Verity’s unique impact. Nick has a bachelor’s degree in Business, with a concentration in Finance, from the University of Washington.

Vikash Chhagan

Vikash Chhagan currently serves as a Board Member. He has been a member of Verity since 1997 and a volunteer since 2019. Vikash has worked in various capacities at the Social Security Administration since 1994, and is currently in an Executive leadership position. As a life-long public servant, Vikash enjoys the satisfaction of being part of a larger organization that positively impacts the lives of others. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas - Dallas and a JD from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. In his free time, Vikash enjoys hiking and camping with his family in the beautiful PNW, and playing hockey on Seattle’s many sheets of ice. Go Kraken!

Chad Klemme

Chad has been a board volunteer since late 2020. During this time, he has served as both an associate and a director and sat on several different committees. He is a local product, graduating from the University of Washington in economics and political science. Chad spent the early part of his career in finance and banking, but currently works as an Agile and Product Management Consultant for Slalom.

Pelin Muharremoglu

Pelin serves as the Finance Committee Chair with the goal of contributing to the governance and strategic direction of Verity. Pelin has over 15 years of corporate strategy, financial management and engineering experience. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and an MS Degree in Electrical Engineering from Boston University. She is excited about Verity because of its contributions to the community and its environmentally conscious practices. During her free time, Pelin enjoys spending time with her family, reading, listening to podcasts and cooking.

Wesley Nguyen

Wesley Nguyen currently serves on the Board of Directors. He is an Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Lacey, supporting local business owners and commercial developers to meet the city's community development goals. Wesley also serves as Commissioner on the City of Olympia's Social Justice and Equity Commission. Wesley is a doer, a collaborator, and a learner. Wesley has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a MBA from LaTrobe University in Australia. He enjoys a balanced lifestyle with family, work, volunteer, sports, and hobbies. 

Will Collins

Will Collins has served as an Associate Board Member since September of 2021 and as an interim Supervisory Committee member. He graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering. He is a Senior Software Architect at West Monroe Partners with a specialty in Fintech.

Darius Chehrzad

Darius Chehrzad is currently an interim member of the Board of Directors at Verity, having joined in 2023. He is the Chief Commercial Officer and member of the Board of Directors at Paytient, a venture backed fintech working to improve access and affordability of healthcare for Americans. He was previously an Associate Partner in McKinsey & Company’s New York Office, where he served clients in Healthcare and Financial Services.

Darius is passionate about Verity’s mission and commitment to socially responsible banking, and is excited to bring his time and energy to helping the institution create a stronger, healthier and more sustainable community in and around Seattle.

Darius holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, and a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from McGill University. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar (poorly), backcountry skiing, and making overly complicated meals.

Aldo Pineda

Aldo J. Pineda, Supervisory Committee Chair. Board associate. Finance Committee member.

• Supervisory Committee Chair. Ensure appropriate internal controls and accurate financial reporting.
• Loan Operations at a Community Bank, Credit Union Regulatory Experience, and currently a Credit Analyst at Boeing
• Joined the credit union as a volunteer as I wanted to be a part of an organization dedicated to providing financial services to historically marginalized communities
• Bachelor’s from the University of Washington. Starting MBA program in the Fall at University of Washington Fosters School of Business
• Volunteer for the Woodland Park Zoo Amphibian Monitoring Program, kayaking, and cooking.

Tom Holz

Tom serves on Verity’s Board of Directors as well as the Supervisory Committee, and on the board of the Rhode-Island based Marley Bridges Theater Company, which specializes in interactive, historical, and educational theatrical programming. Tom is also a member of the strategy team at Keyfactor, a cybersecurity company specializing in digital identity management. Tom combines analytical and soft skills with an understanding of technology and technology governance. He holds a master’s in business administration from the University of Virginia and a master’s in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Florida. He is an (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Eagle Scout, and 9-time veteran of Burning Man.

Lawrence Lerner

Lawrence is currently a member of the Supervisory Committee. He is the Managing Director of Lead Forward and is known for taking big ideas and creating everyday technology products that box out the competition. He has launched LEVL – the consumer fat measuring product, has six awards for leading Software Testing, Application Modernization businesses, and most recently won the NAMA People’s Choice Award for SimpliGet, the leading software/hardware locker platform. He brings to Verity 25 years of experience as a pioneer in digital payments, including credit cards, embedded payment solutions, and back-office systems. He attended the University of Chicago with studies in Math and Computer Science. He proudly serves as a leader in his faith community counseling, volunteering, and running non-profits. He is an avid nature hiker, loves cooking, writing, and listening to live music.

Tonita Webb, CEO

Tonita is Verity’s first Black female CEO and one of few Black female executives in the industry. She harnesses the power of tools, data, and technology to drive decision-making, ensuring financial prosperity for all, especially underserved community members. 

Before joining Verity, Tonita spent 15 years at Seattle Credit Union (SCU), where she served as Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, Senior Vice President, and Chief Administrative Officer. Tonita leads by example, championing financial inclusion for all and applying education to diminish the wealth gap.  She serves on various boards, including Southeast Effective Development (SEED), 21 Progress, and Pioneer Human Services. 

Tonita is a Puget Sound Business Journal Woman of Influence, American Heart Association Woman of Impact nominee, and sought-after speaker. She has been featured on numerous podcasts, including Unlikely, discussing “Generational Wealth in Leadership,” See It to Be It on “Changing the System from Within,” and Leading with Empathy & Allyship on “Strategies for Supporting Black Leadership in the Workplace.” She has a doctorate of Business Administration from City University.

Jason Hirl, Chief Technology Officer

Jason leads the technology operations at Verity, overseeing the team responsible for providing secure, accessible and efficient tools that meet the unique needs of Verity’s members and staff. He brings over 30 years of experience in the industry, joining Verity in 2014 after serving as the Vice President of IT at a Minneapolis credit union. He enjoys the challenges that the pace of evolving technology brings.

Jason received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in finance and minoring in mathematics. He is also a graduate of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Management School in Madison, WI. Jason is currently completing his master’s degree in Business Administration online at the University of Iowa.

In his spare time, he volunteers in his community, coaching youth baseball and leading the local Scout troop. In addition, he enjoys rooting on the Iowa Hawkeyes and the WSU Cougars, golfing, boating, hiking, and camping with his wife and two boys.

Tina Narron, Chief Lending Officer

Tina joins Verity with 21 years of supporting small businesses, particularly women in business.  She leads the development of loan products and services, overseeing $750M+ in lending and ensuring loan programs are sustainable and financially viable for the credit union. Tina is committed to getting capital into the hands of underserved communities and undoing generations of systematic exclusion in our communities, equipping her team with the tools needed to be successful.

Tina started her career as a teller, working in various positions. She’s managed billion-dollar loan portfolios and helped lead organizational and cultural transformations at credit unions to improve member service. She frequently speaks about the unique needs of women and underserved business owners. Tina is proud of her volunteer work as a mentor with the WA Women’s Business Center, coaching women and seeing them grow and gain confidence. 

In her spare time, Tina enjoys charity work, cooking, spending time with friends and family, and traveling to new destinations every year. 

Brad Tanberg, Chief Financial Officer

Brad joined Verity in 2018, bringing decades of experience in the financial industry. He loves being part of the credit union movement because he believes in the philosophy of people helping people. 

Before joining Verity, Brad was the CFO at TruWest Credit Union in Phoenix, Arizona <insert responsibilities and successes.> 

A lifelong learner, Brad believes in the power of education. He holds a post-baccalaureate degree in accounting from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Western Washington University. He is also a graduate of Western CUNA Management School. 

In his free time, Brad enjoys spending time with family and watching his daughter play volleyball. He also enjoys flying, boating and golfing.

Josh Sidell, Chief Experience Officer

Josh joined Verity’s executive team in 2022 with over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. He leads the sales and member experience efforts, opening new branches, expanding online and mobile access, and integrating branches into the communities Verity serves. 

Josh was drawn to Verity because his life’s work is to improve the lives of others, especially those who have been historically excluded. He’s committed to making systemic change by creating connections to affordable financial services and increasing access to wealth-building programs to help close the wealth gap.

Josh has a master’s degree in Business Administration from Western Governors University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Western Washington University. He’s a member of Filene’s i3 program and a board member of the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association, where he sits on the finance, property development, and strategic planning committees.  

Outside work, Josh enjoys spending time with his kids, cooking and listening to music

Ziquora Banks, Chief Impact Strategy Officer

Ziquora oversees the Community Impact Team at Verity, providing community fund grants, community impact projects, financial well-being, and related initiatives to accomplish Verity’s Community Impact agenda. She’s committed to helping communities heal their relationship with money, moving from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance to create measurably improved lives and stronger communities. Linking donors, volunteers and advocates’ aspirations to need, Ziquora cultivates relationships to mobilize resources for meaningful engagement. 

Before Verity, Ziquora served as the Assistant Vice President of DEI & Strategic Partnerships at Seattle Credit Union, creating strategic partnerships in BIPOC, immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQIA+ communities to further opportunities to access inclusive financial products and programs. 

Ziquora was named a CUES Exceptional Leader in 2023. She graduated from Colorado Technical University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Business Administration. She also received a Diversity & Inclusion Certificate for Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies from Cornell University. 

Ziquora enjoys spending time with her son, traveling to new places and immersing herself in the stories and cultures around the world.

Alma Granic, Chief Risk Officer

Alma brings over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, specifically in Risk Management, IT, and Project Management. She oversees risk, compliance and internal audit, creating an aware culture that identifies and assesses risks and opportunities in pursuit of the credit union’s strategic objectives. Alma is passionate about this area because she impacts every aspect of the organization and helps keep members’ financial well-being safe.

Most of Alma’s professional career has been with credit unions because she is drawn to the underlying mission of people helping people. Her key accomplishments include successfully implementing an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program that enhanced organizational resiliency against present and emerging risks and improved organizational decision-making. 

Alma has an MBA in finance from Western International University and a bachelor’s degree in global business finance from Arizona State University. She also holds several certifications in Risk Management and Information Technology.

In her free time, Alma enjoys hanging out with her family, traveling, and hiking.