[Oakville, ON, March 17] – The Ontario Credit Union Foundation (OCUF) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Rea Vriends as its new Executive Director, effective March 17, 2025. Rea is a four-time recipient of the CU Succeed Youth Bursary, ranking among the top 10 recipients each year. She has spent the past year and a half gaining valuable experience with OCUF’s operations. Many in the credit union community may already be familiar with Rea, as she has been an integral part of OCUF’s Golf Classic for the past two years. Additionally, she has been active at conferences and engaged with the credit union community through social media.
Rea is deeply committed to giving back through many ventures, having dedicated much of her life to volunteerism and community engagement. Her background in psychology provides her with a strong understanding of people, motivation, and leadership dynamics – key skills that will help her foster strong relationships and drive engagement within the credit union community. She has also worked with United Way, further demonstrating her passion for strengthening communities and empowering individuals. Her dedication to supporting young people and expanding opportunities for others makes her an ideal fit to lead OCUF into its next chapter.
Rea will be succeeding Clayton Shold, who is retiring after a decade of dedicated service. Under Clayton’s leadership, OCUF transitioned from a broad philanthropic focus to a targeted commitment to youth education and leadership. His vision led to the creation of the CU Succeed Youth Bursary, a program that has successfully engaged and attracted many young members into the credit union system.
“The Board is incredibly excited to welcome Rea into this role,” said Randy Murray, OCUF Board Chair. “As a young leader with firsthand experience as a CU Succeed Youth Bursary recipient, she is the perfect person to continue attracting young members to credit unions and fostering the next generation of leaders in our industry.”
The OCUF Board of Directors is confident in Rea’s ability to build upon the strong foundation laid by Clayton. They also extend their heartfelt gratitude to Clayton for his years of service and wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement.
For more information please contact:
Rea Vriends, Executive Director, rea@ocuf.org
About Ontario Credit Union Foundation
Over the past 45 years, the Ontario Credit Union Foundation (OCUF) has supported credit unions and co-operatives with their philanthropic giving in communities across Ontario. The Foundation is like private and local community foundations in that it administers funds created by donors for specific charitable purposes. In addition to funds OCUF manages, the Foundation’s main charitable activity is the support of youth education and leadership.