"Award" Articles

BrightBridge Credit Union Senior Vice President of Banking and Data Management Selected as a Credit Union Times 2026 Luminaries Award Finalist

Theresa Hayes is recognized for leadership and innovation in Rising Star category

Lawrence, Mass. – October 27, 2026 — BrightBridge Credit Union (BrightBridge) is pleased to announce that Theresa Hayes, BrightBridge Senior Vice President of Digital Banking & Data Management, is named as a finalist in Credit Union Times’ Luminaries Awards, Class of 2026 , in the Rising Star category. The CU Times Luminaries Awards were created to recognize the people, credit unions and industry partners that are raising the bar for leadership, innovation and service within the cooperative financial services industry. Finalists were selected by CU Times Executive Editor Natasha Chilingerian and Senior Director of Content Experience & Strategy Michael Ogden.

“Theresa represents the future of the credit union movement as she is an innovative, dedicated and people-centered leader whose career reflects both exceptional achievement and limitless potential,” said BrightBridge President and CEO John Howard. “She has done an incredible job of modernizing our credit union’s online and mobile banking platforms, helping both our members and our team members benefit from efficient technology. We’re so proud of Theresa and lucky to have her on our team!”

Hayes has grown from teller to her current role over the course of 21 years at BrightBridge, embodying the values and commitment to excellence that the credit union industry represents. Most recently, she led a successful, enterprise-wide digital automation project that resulted in improved experience for members with faster, frictionless access to products; streamlined workflows for team members with fewer manual touchpoints and administrative tasks; and enhanced growth and stronger market position.

“Reading the Luminaries submissions is one of our favorite parts of this program because it gives us an opportunity to see, in remarkable detail, the work happening throughout the credit union industry,” Chilingerian said. “We read stories about leaders taking chances, teams solving difficult problems, credit unions finding new ways to serve their members and communities, and industry partners helping make that work possible. Selecting the finalists from several hundred submissions was not easy, but it reminded us just how much talent, creativity and commitment exists throughout this industry.”

The 2026 CU Times Luminaries Awards winners will be announced during the annual Luminaries Gala on November 5, 2026.

Theresa Hayes, BrightBridge Senior Vice President of Digital Banking & Data Management is a finalist for the 2026 Credit Union Times’ Luminaries Awards.

For additional details about BrightBridge's award recognitions and other news, visit www.brightbridge.com/news .

About BrightBridge Credit Union

BrightBridge Credit Union (BrightBridge) is a state-chartered community credit union with more than $2.4 billion in assets and headquartered in Lawrence, Massachusetts. BrightBridge currently serves approximately 118,000 members, primarily in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut. BrightBridge operates 23 retail branches located in Amesbury, Bridgewater, Brookline, Danvers, Dorchester, Fairhaven, Haverhill, Hanover, Lawrence, Marlborough, Methuen, North Andover, Plymouth, Quincy, Springfield, Tewksbury, Waltham, West Springfield and Worcester, Mass., plus Plaistow and Seabrook, N.H. and Enfield, CT. BrightBridge also serves many employer groups, including two major Massachusetts employers, Raytheon Technologies and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. BrightBridge offers a wide range of savings and loan products, commercial services and digital banking to meet the financial needs of a growing member base.

About Credit Union Times

Credit Union Times is an independent source of news, analysis and strategic intelligence for credit union leaders and professionals. Through its journalism, research, multimedia programming, events and CU Times PRO membership, CU Times provides industry leaders with the information and insights they need to understand change, make informed decisions and better serve their organizations, members and communities.

Online Banking

Online Banking