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Special to the Advance

Gulf Winds Credit Union announced recently the welcome of Ricardo Loya Urena to the team as the new vice president of technology operations.

With more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry, including a decade specifically dedicated to credit unions, Urena offers a wealth of expertise to Gulf Winds. Ricardo brings extensive experience in data engineering, software design and project management from his tenure at Coastal Credit Union in Raleigh, N.C. Prior to that, Ricardo served as the core applications manager and several other technology management roles at the credit union.

Urena holds master’s degrees in business administration and information systems, both from the University of Central Florida as well as a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Ciudad in Juarez, Mexico.

“We are excited to welcome Ricardo to our team,” said Walter Stepnowski, chief technology officer of Gulf Winds. “Ricardo’s experience and operational leadership skills position him as a strong fit for our culture and align with our commitment to driving innovation.”