SAN ANTONIO (February 24, 2025) – Soarion Credit Union is celebrating the promotions of four of its staff to roles on the leadership team. Soarion’s President and CEO, Ric Ledezma, recently announced the following appointments ahead of an exciting year for the credit union:
- Monica Benavides, Chief Member Experience Officer
- Justin Eddleton, Chief Lending Officer
- Felipe Mayoral Jr., Assistant Vice President of Member Experience
- Sierra Saldaña, Assistant Vice President of Finance
“A strong core leadership team is important to any organization, and I am proud of the dynamic and experienced team we have with these latest promotions,” Ledezma said. “As we enter a new chapter in the long legacy of our credit union, this team of talented individuals will not only focus on enhancing our member experience but also on developing and engaging every one of our staff members.”
Benavides has been promoted from Assistant Vice President of Loan Servicing & Credit Solutions to Chief Member Experience Officer. With nearly 38 years of financial industry experience, Benavides has worked to drive member satisfaction and optimize the credit union’s operations since joining Soarion in May 2023. In her new role, Benavides will continue to enhance the member experience by overseeing all the credit union’s financial centers, call center, digital banking, deposit products, training and deposit, and loan servicing areas.
Eddleton, who was previously Soarion’s Assistant Vice President of HomeX Lending, is now Chief Lending Officer (CLO). In this role, Eddleton will oversee all the credit union’s lending operations, leveraging his extensive expertise to drive growth and support the members’ financial needs. He joined Soarion in May 2024 and has nearly 17 years of financial industry experience.
New to Soarion’s leadership team are Mayoral and Saldaña. Mayoral is an 18-year veteran in customer operations, with seven of those years spent in the credit union industry. He joined Soarion in May 2023 as Director of Member Experience. In his new role, Mayoral will lead the credit union’s financial center and contact center teams with the goal of enhancing member engagement by delivering meaningful improvements to the customer journey, leveraging a strategic blend of people, processes, and technology.
Saldaña began with Soarion Credit Union in October 2022 as the Treasury Manager and, after a successful tenure, was promoted to Director of Finance and Accounting. Now, in her new role as Assistant Vice President of Finance, Saldaña will manage payment operations and continue overseeing Soarion’s accounting and procurement departments with a focus on enhanced reporting, data-driven analysis, and the continuous optimization of accounting processes. She has five years of experience in the financial industry.
This spring, Soarion Credit Union will open its sixth financial center in San Antonio, while work continues on its new headquarters building, both at Soarion Plaza near the city’s downtown. Later this year, the credit union also plans to open its seventh San Antonio financial center location.
For more information on Soarion Credit Union, visit www.soarion.org.
About Soarion Credit Union
Established in 1952 by 10 airmen on JBSA-Lackland, Soarion Credit Union has grown to serve the diverse needs of almost 55,000 members with a full array of financial services, six financial center locations in San Antonio and Del Rio, TX, and the strength of more than $600 million in assets. As a member-owned and not-for-profit organization based in San Antonio, Soarion Credit Union is passionate about assisting the communities it serves through volunteer work, scholarships, and sponsorships. Soarion Credit Union is federally insured by NCUA and an equal opportunity lender. For more information, visit soarion.org.
