ESL Federal Credit Union announces that its annual meeting of members will be held on Monday, January 26, 2026, at 4 p.m. at the Credit Union's Corporate Headquarters, 225 Chestnut Street, Rochester, New York. The Nominating and Governance Committee of ESL Federal Credit Union has selected nominees for vacancies on the Board of Directors. The nominees for the positions, together with their qualifications and biographical data, are:
Cindy Langston – Ms. Langston is the Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Data and Digital Officer of Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield, where she has worked since 2014. In addition to her current role, she has held several senior management positions with the company, including that of SVP, Chief Analytics & Data Officer. She has a B.S. degree in computer technology from Purdue University, an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and over 30 years of experience in the field of information technology and consulting. Mrs. Langston is actively involved in the community in a variety of ways, including as board chair of the YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County; member of the Women’s Leadership Council of the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes; and past chairwoman of the YWCA Racial Justice Committee and Stand Against Racism events.
Mary Alice Liotta - Ms. Liotta is the former Senior Vice President and Director, Operations for ESL Federal Credit Union, having retired in 2020. During her 21-year tenure at ESL she established a track record of driving strategic initiatives and delivering impactful results. Since her retirement, she served on the ESL Supervisory Committee for three years. Prior to joining ESL, Ms. Liotta served as Vice President of Branch Operations at First Federal Savings & Loan, and she also served as Vice President of Project Management at HSBC in Buffalo. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and finance from St. John Fisher University. She has served on numerous non-profit boards including Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York.
Thomas J. Rogers, CPA – Mr. Rogers joined ESL in 2013, with more than 20 years of diverse financial experience. He currently serves as the Credit Union’s Chief Operating Officer and will succeed Faheem Masood as ESL’s next CEO upon Mr. Masood’s retirement on April 1, 2026. Prior to joining ESL, he led Broadstone Real Estate, LLC, as president and chief operating officer. He received his BS in Accounting from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and earned an MBA from the University of Rochester, William E. Simon Graduate School of Business. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the State of New York. He volunteers his time and talent to the community, currently serving on the board for Geva Theatre Center, Junior Achievement of Central Upstate New York, and The Center for Governmental Research. Previously, Tom served on the boards of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester, COMET Informatics, LLC, United Way of Greater Rochester, Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity, the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center, and The Center for Youth Services.
Jaime Saunders – Ms. Saunders is the President and CEO of United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes. Prior to joining United Way, she served as the President and CEO of Willow Domestic Violence Center. Her nonprofit career includes Foodlink, Center for Governmental Research, Villa of Hope and the Salvation Army. Devoted to the Greater Rochester community, Ms. Saunders serves on the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, TogetherNow Executive Committee, Rochester/Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative Executive Committee, and the Excellus Lifetime Healthcare Companies Regional Advisory Board. She holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Maxwell School of Public Citizenship at Syracuse University and degrees in Business and Sociology from Whittier College.
Erin Tolefree – Ms. Tolefree is the President of Baldwin Richardson Foods, overseeing Finance, Operations, Human Resources, Sales, Marketing, Quality, Innovation, Research, and Supply chain teams. She joined Baldwin Richardson in 2001 and has served in numerous senior management leadership positions prior to taking her current role in 2020. Ms. joined the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council in 2016. She has been recognized as an Athena Young Professional Award Finalist, was featured by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle as a “Women to watch” in 2015 and joined Rochester’s 40 under Forty class. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and a Minor in Spanish from Spelman College.
Nominations for vacancies may also be made by petition signed by 500 members. Each nominee by petition shall submit with the petition a statement of qualifications and biographical data similar to the statement prepared by each nominee submitted by the Nominating and Governance Committee. The nominating petitions shall be accompanied by a signed certificate from each nominee stating that the nominee accepts the nomination and will serve if elected to office. Completed petition forms must be returned to the Board Secretary no later than 5 p.m. on December 12, 2025.
In the event that there is only one nominee for each position to be filled, then the election will not be conducted by ballot and there will be no nominations from the floor. Further, in the event that there is more than one nominee for any position to be filled, voting instructions will be provided to all members eligible to vote, ages 18 and older, no later than December 18, 2024. Members who join the Credit Union or become age 18 after December 1, 2025, are not eligible to vote until the next annual election.
