Hawaiʻi StateFCU announces strategic leadership team restructuring

Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union has announced that Carol Higa, executive vice president, will retire on Dec. 31, 2025. Higa’s retirement marks the culmination of nearly a decade of leadership at Hawaiʻi State FCU and more than 40 years of distinguished service in Hawaiʻi’s banking industry.

“Carol’s leadership and dedication to our members have been instrumental in shaping the future of Hawaii State FCU,” said Andrew Rosen, president and CEO of Hawaiʻi State FCU. “She has guided our teams through significant growth and transformation, always ensuring that the member experience remained at the center of everything we do. Her impact will be felt for years to come.”

During her tenure, Higa oversaw a wide range of business areas, including retail, branch operations, commercial banking, consumer lending, credit administration, product development, finance, marketing and analytics. She joined the credit union in 2016 as chief lending officer and was later promoted to executive vice president. With more than four decades in financial services, she has held several senior leadership positions and has been active in the community through board and committee service with Goodwill Industries of Hawaiʻi, the Shidler Alumni Board and Housing Solutions Inc.  

As part of long-term succession planning, Hawaiʻi State FCU has also restructured a new Strategic Leadership Team effective Oct. 1, 2025. The team will guide the credit union’s future growth while upholding a commitment to exceptional service:

• Aaron Vallely has been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer, overseeing operations, IT, facilities, branches and the enterprise project management office.
• Warren Altona has been promoted to executive vice president and chief growth officer, leading consumer loans, mortgage, retail solutions, commercial and business banking, and human resources.
• Ashley Noji has been promoted to senior vice president and chief marketing officer, overseeing product strategy, marketing, communications and strategic analytics.
• Christopher Hodges, senior vice president and chief financial officer, has also been promoted to senior division manager. He will continue to oversee finance, accounting and treasury, and will now lead credit administration, compliance and risk management.
• Del Mochizuki, senior vice president and chief of staff, plays a key role in driving strategic alignment and advancing organizational initiatives. She also oversees board governance and community impact.

“These changes reflect years of careful planning to ensure leadership continuity and strong momentum for Hawaiʻi State FCU,” said Rosen. “Our future is bright thanks to the remarkable leaders stepping into new roles, and we are deeply grateful to Carol for helping us prepare for this next chapter.”

For more information, visit www.HawaiiStateFCU.com.