Credit union, in anticipation of expansion, names new market leader

DUNEDIN — Having recently broken ground on its first-ever branch in Hillsborough County, Achieva Credit Union has named a new market vice president, Rocio Smith, for the region.

According to a news release, Smith will be based at Achieva’s branch in Carrollwood — at 10901 N. Dale Mabry Highway — when it opens next year. The daughter of migrant workers, she spent 17 years with Wells Fargo before joining Dunedin-based Achieva.

Rocio, the release states, was the first person in her family to earn a college degree, graduating from the University of South Florida in 1997. Prior to that, every summer she would travel from state to state with her parents to harvest crops. Today, she volunteers her time with the Redlands Christian Migrant Association, which provides child care and early education to children of migrant farmworkers around Florida. 

“Rocio brings a powerful blend of experience and passion to this position,” Achieva COO Jennifer Galley states in the release. “Hillsborough County is already home to more than 13,000 of our members, and we expect Rocio’s team to drive significant growth for us there, starting in Carrollwood.”

The hiring of Smith, the release states, coincides with Achieva’s focus on expanding its reach to Hispanic audiences. It has created a Spanish version of its website, produced educational articles and television segments in Spanish and invested in Spanish-language ad campaigns, in addition to forming a Hispanic employee-led committee that’s tasked with increasing engagement with the Tampa Bay Hispanic community.