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Thiago Braga |
My name is Thiago Braga, I’m a Christian since childhood, proud son of a pastor, and currently serving at Beulah Alliance and Centrepointe Reformed Church. I’m married to a blessed wife and I am a father of 4 kids (1 in heaven and 3 with us).
I have 20 years of experience in Procurement/Supply Chain and led 4 transformation programs. From Brazil, to the United States, and Canada, I helped organizations both in the private and public sectors. Currently, I’m the Director of Supply Chain Management & Chief of Logistics for the City of Edmonton. I’m also the Vice-Chair & Director at Supply Chain Canada, a national association with 7,000 members, and have been the Treasurer and Director of the same organization in Alberta. In addition, I am member of Christian Credit Union’s Audit & Finance Committee and have absolutely enjoyed learning about the organization and the great leadership team behind it.
Psalms 24 proclaims that the earth, and everything in it, is the Lord's. With that, financial stewardship means that I'm just a steward of what God entrusted me to manage. It's not mine, it belongs to Him and should be well-managed for His glory and purposes. It's a much taller task than if it was my own money since I'm accountable to Him to be a good manager. In practical terms, it means that I should avoid debt which causes slavery, invest wisely, and act generously through offerings and supporting the local economy. It also means that God is giving me the means to advance His kingdom through the church and its mission work (near and far), also helping those in need. In the end, it's not about me, but how well I can manage what belongs to Him on a day-to-day basis.
Clients and consumers are requiring corporations to take a more assertive position in a wide range of social matters. At times, other financial organizations are supporting causes that are in clear contradiction with God's direction, whether that is donating, sponsoring, or supporting causes that don’t honour God. As Christians, we need to support financial institutions aligned and committed to managing assets, products, and services following the same biblical principles we believe in. Christian Credit Union is a lighthouse in the financial services industry offering Christians an opportunity to partner and bank with an organization committed to managing assets and resources in a God-honouring way.
Supply Chain is one of the most interconnected functions in many organizations. From involvement with Sales & Business Development, Acquisitions, HR, Finance/Accounting, Operations, and Corporate Services, for 20 years I have been involved in liaising multiple internal areas and external service providers (goods & services providers, regulatory bodies, etc.). After working in 3 countries and more than 11 organizations in various sectors (Automotive, Aerospace, Energy, and more recently Public Government), I bring strong diversity of experience and perspective. On top of that, I’m experienced in business strategy development, growth, and cost containment efforts.
The Financial Industry has been evolving rapidly and I can bring good lessons learned from other industries while recognizing the nuances of Christian CU's industry. In addition, I have been involved in Boards performing both governance and treasury roles and have gained an appreciation for organizational awareness and improvements through multiple lenses.
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Mary Lynn Huizinga |
I am an estate specialist with Advisors with Purpose, helping individuals and families with estate planning that reflects their life, faith, and values. My passion is educating and empowering clients to make well informed decisions with the resources God has entrusted to them. I am passionate about family businesses as I am also a bookkeeper for HWL Family Enterprises and part owner of Computronix, a software development company that provides regulatory software to government clients. Married for 33 years, my husband and I have 7 children (5 married additions), and 6 grandchildren. We attend and have volunteered at Saints Church (formerly WECA) for over 30 years. I love hospitality and frequently host events for a houseful. If you can’t find me in my office, I’m probably at Costco getting supplies for the next event.
For me, being a faithful steward means acknowledging that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. I recognize that everything I have comes from God and I can honour Him by using my time, talents, and treasure to further His work on the earth. The verse, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8) is meaningful to me because it instructs on how I should live, and how I should use the resources God has blessed me with.
Working with organizations that support and align with your beliefs and values is critical in life and in business. Ensuring that you can receive counsel and advice that is biblically sound is extremely valuable. I know that the Christian Credit Union aligns with my values; treating our membership as valuable people made in the image of God, working to promote biblical stewardship, and sharing the love of Christ by giving back to our community.
I have served on the board of the Christian Credit Union for the last 3 years, and I have learned a great deal about the various facets and needs of our organization. Along with the current board and executive team, I’ve learned how to function as a high performing board while working toward a Certificate in Directorship Excellence from the Credit Union Executives Society. I bring to the board my perspective based on my experiences with family life, volunteering, Christian leadership, bookkeeping, small business ownership, financial planning, and personal banking.
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Johan Vandenbrink |
I am a professional accountant (CPA-CMA), who has been assisting small businesses with their accounting needs for over 20 years.
I have been married for over 37 years, and we have 4 grown children and 5 grandchildren. We attend Bethel CR Community Church, and I have been treasurer there for 10 years. My interests are sports, reading and being with family.
Being a faithful steward of God's resources to me means that I do my best to spend and invest wisely, to give generously, to avoid unnecessary debt, and use my resources to help people, and to further God's kingdom.
I think having a Christian Credit Union is important, because it, a) gives the community an opportunity to exercise the financial principles that we espouse, and b) it gives a model to copy, in as much as the credit union truly models these same principles.
My skills and life experiences would contribute to the credit union board in that I have solid accounting knowledge, and experience in what business owners might be looking for from their bank.
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Pieter Van Ewijk |
Pieter has a career in management spanning 36 years, and has served as Director of Administration and Finance at Streets Alive Mission in Lethbridge for the past four years.
He and his wife April have been married for 28 years, and have a blended family of six biological, adopted, and foster children. After attending Park Meadows Baptist Church for 25 years, they are now attending Coaldale Mennonite Brethren Church. Pieter is also a lay-preacher at both CMBC and Streets Alive Mission.
He and his wife April have been married for 28 years, and have a blended family of six biological, adopted, and foster children. After attending Park Meadows Baptist Church for 25 years, they are now attending Coaldale Mennonite Brethren Church. Pieter is also a lay-preacher at both CMBC and Streets Alive Mission.
Instead of merely tithing from what we have, we are responsible for each and every dollar God has entrusted us with. Managing our own assets for growth should be matched with providing services to those who may not have much knowledge in the area of finances; sharing with the less fortunate is a key component as well. The Christian Credit Union helps its individual members get ahead, teaching those who need help and providing a portion to those in need - all in line with Biblical principles.
Banks are only in it for profit and bigger bonuses - no real thoughts or concerns for their customers and certainly not interested in 'sharing the wealth'. With Christian Credit Union, the Mission Bible verse is on the wall, never to be forgotten by customers and employees.
Being employed at non-profit organizations for the past eight years has opened my eyes to the needs that are out there, and are clearly not met by the big banks. My 36 years' management experience will allow me to provide questions, insight and input from an angle that may not often be presented at Board level. Having some additional representation from the South-region may also strengthen the representativeness of the Board.