Jonathan Shakelton

Executive Vice President Heritage Financial Credit Union

Jonathan is Executive Vice President at Heritage Financial Credit Union, a community-based LID institution serving over 58,000 members across 15 branches in New York's Hudson Valley and northeastern Pennsylvania. Providing enterprise-wide executive leadership across the organization, Jonathan oversees the executive team encompassing the full breadth of Heritage Financial's operations; from retail banking, lending, and information technology to finance, risk management, and facilities.

Jonathan provided executive oversight of Heritage Financial's transition to the Universal Associate model, a multi-year initiative that reimagined how the credit union delivers service at the branch level. The effort included the creation of a dedicated Credit Union Branch Operations department, a restructuring of retail leadership, and the development of a Relationship Building Model before moving into a staged pilot and full rollout across all branches. The initiative cross-trained frontline staff to serve members across the full spectrum of banking needs, supported by a concurrent overhaul of the credit union's Learning & Development function and incentive structure.

Prior to Heritage Financial, Jonathan built a career spanning more than two decades in financial services, including regulatory compliance consulting, community bank risk management leadership, and progressive leadership roles at BB&T, in Winston-Salem, NC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Business from Liberty University.

Equipping Teams and Branches to be Human-First, Tech-Assisted Relationship Builders

12:20 PM The Solution Exchange – Idea Trading Roundtables

Like a trading floor for ideas, The Solution Exchange brings banking leaders to the table to discuss the strategies, insights, and solutions that impact the future of their organizations. Each roundtable zeroes in on a critical topic—from AI and data strategy to customer experience and branch distribution—creating a space for open dialogue, fresh perspectives, and practical solutions. With focused topics, candid conversation, and a highly interactive format, The Solution Exchange offers the perfect environment to explore new approaches and leave with actionable insights.

Roundtable: Lessons from the Universal Associate Transition

The Universal Associate model promises a more flexible, member-centric branch experience but getting there requires navigating real cultural, operational, and structural dynamics of your organization. In this roundtable, Jonathan draws on Heritage Financial's completed transition to facilitate an open, peer-driven conversation about what it truly takes to move from traditional teller lines to a fully cross-trained frontline team.

- Jonathan P. Shakelton, Executive Vice President, Heritage Financial Credit Union

Roundtable: Serving Multigenerational Customers in One Branch Network

From Gen Z to retirees, branches are serving vastly different expectations. Discuss how branch teams are adapting communication styles, technology and more!

- Sharon Morgan, Vice President, Senior Regional Manager, The Washington Trust Company

- Rhonda Duckworth, Vice President, Regional Manager, The Washington Trust Company

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Jonathan.

Download The Latest Agenda