Pagenstecher Headshot

PORTLAND, OR (April 12, 2019) – Point West Credit Union today announced that Steve Pagenstecher has been promoted to Chief Operations Officer (COO). Most recently serving as the VP Member Experience at Point West, Steve currently oversees the Marketing, IT and Centralized Lending departments as well as day to day operations. The title of COO more accurately describes Steve’s integral role to the credit union, and his leadership helps to guide Point West in continuing to be a Point of Opportunity for its members.

Steve began his career in 2004 at Lime Financial as the Marketing Supervisor for the company’s 7-person marketing department. In 2009, Steve became the VP Member Relations at Valley Credit Union where he managed marketing, communications and community relations resulting in membership and loan portfolio growth. In 2012, Steve was awarded Young Credit Union Professional of the Year by the Northwest Credit Union Association for his unwavering commitment to the development of credit unions and their future. Steve accepted the Marketing & Member Experience Manager position at Point West Credit Union in 2013 and stepped into the VP Member Experience role a year later.

CEO Amy Nelson underscores the importance of Steve’s transition to Point West.

“It was an honor to have Steve join the Point West team in 2013, for we knew he would be a catalyst on behalf of our members. Steve has been pivotal to this cooperative’s momentum, having been a key architect on our pathway to low income designation, CDFI, Juntos Avanzamos certification, grant work, the serving minority household initiative with Filene, and advocacy on the State and National levels. The list goes on, which is not surprising, for Steve is fueled by his passion to build an inclusive cooperative which serves marginalized communities like no other. It is an honor once again to recognize Steve’s work, and his heart, with this promotion to COO.”

A credit union advocate through and through, Steve holds a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) certification, serves on the Board for Innovative Changes and is the Board Chair for the Northwest Credit Union Foundation. His natural ability to connect with those around him contributes to his success as a leader. He truly embodies the cooperative spirit and champions Point West’s mission of pursuing financial empowerment and inclusion for its members and member businesses, regardless of who they are.

“I’m humbled to continue the important work of financial empowerment and inclusion here at Point West on behalf of our team, our members and our community. Together, we’ll continue to drive lasting impact for people and families we serve and for those in our community that deserve a strong voice and advocate for their financial futures.”

About Point West Credit Union

Founded in 1932, Point West has striven to bring financial inclusion and empowerment to the Portland metro area. Point West is proud to be a not-for-profit, member owned financial institution working to lift-up the underserved, including immigrants, communities of color, and small businesses.

Point West’s mission is to pursue financial empowerment for its members and member businesses by embracing its cooperative roots and providing exceptional service rooted in equity and inclusion. Together with its community partners, Point West believes the best is yet to come, and looks forward to working with its members to bring real change and opportunity to all.

To join or learn more, please visit pointwestcu.com.