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These are the people looking out for you
As part-owners of Great Erie, our members elect our volunteer Board of Directors. These community members come from diverse backgrounds and bring a wide range of expertise to their positions. They make policy for the credit union, set strategic goals, and hire the managers who directly oversee our daily operations.
Great Erie Board of Directors
Our directors are elected for three-year terms by Great Erie members at an annual meeting. They attend monthly board meetings and serve on committees and task forces that focus on issues important to the credit union and its members.
- Joette Cappello, President
- Jeff Leyonmark, Vice President
- Matthew Nowakowski, Secretary
- Bill Even, Treasurer
- Keliann Argy, Director
- Ryan Brady, Director
- John Kane, Director
- Thomas Giallanza, Associate Director
- Laurie Stuntz, Associate Director
Great Erie Supervisory Committee
The Supervisory Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors. Its role is to ensure that an annual financial audit is performed, member accounts are verified, and the credit union has adequate internal controls to secure its members' assets. To contact a member of the Supervisory Committee regarding any issues, please send an email to [email protected].
- Carmen Walling, Committee Chair
- Lynn Emminger
- Bob Metz
- Gary Rog
Importance of Volunteers
As members of the Board of Directors, volunteers have the opportunity to share their business expertise, leadership skills, and diverse experiences to improve the credit union. There are other volunteer opportunities available. To learn more about them, contact [email protected] or call 716-662-1311.
Volunteers are critical to the success of Great Erie Federal Credit Union. Our Board of Directors and committee members are all volunteers dedicated to serving the members of the Credit Union.
Each year, the Credit Union is required to elect Board members and conduct an Annual Meeting. For 2023, there are three open positions for the Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee has selected three candidates, Bill Even, John Kane and Jeff Leyonmark to be on the ballot. Their biographies are listed below.
Other members in good standing can seek nomination to the Board by submitting a short resume and obtaining the signatures of 84 current Great Erie Federal Credit Union members on a petition. Both forms can be obtained at the credit union office (716-662-1311), or from the Secretary of the Board of Directors, 4000 N. Buffalo Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127. Signed petitions and resumes must be received by the Secretary of the Board by July 29, 2023. The credit union will not conduct the election by ballot and there will be no nominations from the floor when the number of nominees equals the number of open positions.
William Even
I was born and raised in Western New York and have lived in Orchard Park with Nadine, my wife of 27 years, and our sons David (24) and Joseph (20) since 2001. I held various positions at Computer Task Group and M&T Bank until 2006 when I started my own web design and marketing firm, The Coming Wave, LLC. in 2006. I run a publishing company called Media Hatchery where I edit, format and publish books for my clients. I also run a website called NostalgicBuffalo.com that restores and prints historic photos of Buffalo and Western New York from the turn of the last century.
Jeffrey Leyonmark
I'm the President of GA Leyonmark Insurance Services, Inc. I've been a Property and Casualty Insurance Broker for 16 years. I'm the fourth generation in my family business and have enjoyed long-standing relationships with my clients. I've been serving Great Erie FCU as a Director for the past three years. I've had the chance to work with a fantastic group of dedicated and experienced Directors and Staff. I also believe my acquired business skill set is an asset to the process. I'm on the Advisory Board of the Hamburg Finance Academy (acting as Co-Chair of the Mentor Committee), The Hamburg Alumni Foundation (Recording Secretary), Hamburg Development Corporation (Loan Committee) and the PITCH Hamburg Board of Directors (Fund Raising Committee). I'm also a Church Elder at Hamburg Presbyterian Church (Clerk of Session) and serve on two Village of Hamburg Commissions.
I have a deeply held philosophy of service and connection. Whether it's my church, my neighborhood, or my family, I act as a change agent in the community I serve. I'm excited to continue to serve our membership both with my acumen and the learned knowledge that is germane to the position. I'm also excited to continue a trend of Great Erie FCU Board at-large business leaders. We have a dynamic mix of industry, tradition and experience. I'd like to be the continuation of all three.
John Kane
My wife and I are originally from Syracuse, NY. Work brought us to Orchard Park in 1996 and we became members of Great Erie FCU. We enjoyed WNY life including being band parents with the QMB and being an active member of the Hillcrest Volunteer Fire Company. Work took us to Florida in 2004 and we retired in 2018 returning to Orchard Park in 2020 in celebration of the birth of our first grandchild. We rejoined Great Erie shortly thereafter. My 35-year career was in Commercial Underwriting and management which taught me the importance of sustained profit, the value of teamwork and a disciplined focus on growth. I highly value the importance of community, which is what attracted me to volunteering with Great Erie as an Associate Board member in August of 2022. This board is a diverse mixture of experience and expertise and it is this dynamic which fuels the Board’s success. I look forward to adding my experience to this group of fine individuals.
Great Erie Federal Credit Union is a full-service credit union serving the Buffalo and Erie County area including Hamburg, West Seneca, Orchard Park and East Aurora, New York.