The League Staff

Paul Guttormsson
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
(608) 640-4052 | pguttormsson@theleague.coop

Paul drafts regulatory comment letters on behalf of credit unions, helping to shape regulations that affect credit union operations, income, and member service. He also supervises The W.C.U.L. Services Corp.’s Compliance Specialist Program, which deploys shared employees among Wisconsin credit unions to provide hands-on support for their compliance efforts. 

Paul also supports The Legal Affairs team with telephone and email assistance to credit unions as well as research and analysis to develop The League’s ii releases, and is a frequent presenter for League compliance roundtables and webinars. Paul graduated with honors from UW-Eau Claire in 1985 and worked as a newspaper editor for several years before attending the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he graduated with honors in 1994. He practiced with the Milwaukee law firm Godfrey & Kahn before joining The League in 2001. 

In his free time, Paul enjoys sailing, fishing, and travel. He’s also a “cruciverbalist,” who has constructed crossword puzzles that have appeared in the New York Times, LA Times, and other publications.

Sarah Wainscott
Senior Vice President of Advocacy
(608) 640-4030 | swainscott@theleague.coop 

In nearly a decade with The League, Sarah has a wealth of experience in lobbying, grassroots advocacy, and political fundraising. She oversees the Credit Union Activist program, payroll deduction and fundraisers, is credit unions’ spokesperson on policy discussions with legislators and regulators, and offers legislative updates or presentations on the importance of advocacy for credit unions and chapters.

Sarah currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Wisconsin Lobbyists and the American Association of Credit Union League’s Political Involvement & Grassroots Committee. She has a master’s degree in public affairs and a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

For Government Affairs questions regarding political & legislative issues, contact Sarah.

Tara Krejcarek
Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
(608) 640-4090 | tkrejcarek@theleague.coop

Tara promotes collaboration with credit unions and helps them enhance their service to members through effective business partnerships. She has three decades of experience in financial services, over 20 of which have been with credit unions. Wisconsin credit unions have benefited greatly from her expertise in growth strategies and lending.

Previously, Tara served as a National Account Director at LSC, a CUSO formed from The Illinois Credit Union League, and as a Mortgage Loan Originator and Branch Manager at Community First Credit Union. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from UW-Oshkosh and is currently earning an MBA at Carroll University.

For League Services related questions regarding products, services, and vendor relations, contact Tara.

Beth Ellis
Vice President of Finance & IT
(608) 640-4020 | bellis@theleague.coop 

Beth is responsible for leading both the Finance and IT functions of The League. She ensures the financial health of The League through oversight of the accounting function, preparation of the annual budget, and financial reporting. Beth also leads the IT department to provide a secure environment and the right tools for The League staff to support our credit union members.

Prior to joining The League, Beth worked at a Fortune 1000 company for over 10 years where she gained experience in accounting, financial and strategic planning, and IT application support. She has  master’s degrees in business administration and accounting, and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a CPA and CMA.

 

Jennifer Esser
Vice President of Professional Development
(608) 640-4070 | jesser@theleague.coop

Since June 2009, Jennifer has developed and coordinated the more than 200 training programs each year that train 90% of all Wisconsin credit unions and help more than 2,600 front line, back office and executive staff and directors learn to perform their roles. 

She is also the lead League liaison for credit union chapters around the state. 

Prior to coming to the League in 2001, Jennifer worked within the financial industry for six years. She holds a degree from UW-Milwaukee and is a Certified Financial Educator through the Heartland Institute. Jennifer lives in Wauwatosa with her husband and two sons.

For questions regarding League events and conferences, chapters, and professional development, contact Jennifer.

Josh Roberts
Vice President of System Collaboration & Development
(608) 640-4065 | jroberts@theleague.coop 

Josh is responsible for promoting credit union service and outreach, fostering opportunities for credit union growth, and leading The League’s development program for Wisconsin's young credit union professionals, the YP Network. You can also find Josh helping Wisconsin's small credit unions with operational consulting and provides strategy assistance by facilitating Strategic Planning Sessions with credit union leaders, staff and boards.

Josh has more than 18 years of experience in the financial industry, having served credit unions as a vice president, controller, and compliance officer.  In fact, he joined The League’s YP program as a credit union employee and served previously as a member of the YP Advisory Board, a YP Advisor to the League Board, and a chapter president for the Metro Milwaukee Chapter of Credit Unions. He is a graduate of CUNA Management School (where he served as Class President) and a 2016 graduate of the Credit Union Development Educators (CUDE) program.

In addition, Josh is engaged in the community, serving as Board Chair for the Milwaukee Area Technical College Accounting Advisory Board. He has previously held positions and volunteered with local neighborhood associations, the American Red Cross, and local environmental organizations.

For League Services related questions regarding young professionals, REAL Solutions®, and credit union service/outreach, please contact Josh.

Sammy Dennis
Director of Communications
(608) 640-4033
sdennis@theleague.coop 

John Engel
Director of Legal Affairs
(608) 640-4051
jengel@theleague.coop

Angela Klaves
Director of Marketing
(608) 640-4073
aklaves@theleague.coop