ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc., and ChoiceOne Bank (NASDAQ: COFS) (“ChoiceOne”) are pleased to announce Josh Hucul, Vice President, Lending Technology, has received the 2024 Rising Star Award for his significant achievements in developing Metriciti – a revolutionary commercial lending platform that promises to redefine how financial institutions manage their lending. The Rising Star Award was presented by the Community Bankers of Michigan (CBM) at the Association’s 50th Annual Convention held recently at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Traverse City.
“It is truly an honor to congratulate Josh for receiving the 2024 CBM Rising Star Award,” said ChoiceOne CEO Kelly Potes. “Josh has a rare talent for combining technical expertise, business acumen, and strategic thinking. Because of Josh’s strong belief in creating Metriciti, ChoiceOne took an ambitious leap and transformed a challenge into a groundbreaking opportunity. He has made a positive and lasting impact on our Bank and now our industry. He is a unique banker with a story starting in traditional credit and ending in innovative technology.”
Hucul joined ChoiceOne Bank in 2012 as a Commercial Credit Analyst. He was promoted to Vice President, Credit Manager in 2013, Vice President, Senior Credit Manager in 2021 and to his current position as Vice President, Lending Technology in 2023.
A graduate of Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, Hucul has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. Hucul is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also a graduate of the Michigan Bankers Association Perry School of Banking and has earned the Risk Management Association’s Credit Risk Certified (CRC) credentials.
Active in his community and profession, Hucul is a Board Member of the Ottawa County Agricultural Preservation Board, former Board Member of the Risk Management Association, West Michigan Chapter and the Midland County Planning Commission. He is also a former volunteer for the Humane Society of Midland County.
“Josh’s most remarkable achievement is leading the creation of Metriciti, a state-of-the-art lending platform that revolutionizes the way we do commercial lending,” said Chief Financial Officer Adom Greenland, who nominated Josh for the 2024 Rising Star Award. “Metriciti is the result of four years of intensive research, development, and testing led by Josh. Metriciti was built using Microsoft Dynamics for ChoiceOne Bank and has replaced our commercial lending software with a much more cost-effective program. It is a comprehensive solution that streamlines the entire lending process, from origination to servicing, and provides advanced features such as risk analysis, portfolio management, and data analytics. Metriciti is not only a powerful tool for our Bank, but also a potential source of revenue and collaboration with other community banks as Josh has been instrumental in leading the project to market Metriciti to other banks and share our vision of community banking. Metriciti is a testament to Josh's vision, skills, and leadership. He has created a game-changing solution that elevates our Bank and our industry.”
ChoiceOne and DPT Solutions (DPT) have created a partnership to offer Metriciti. DPT is the exclusive reseller of Metriciti and is now available to community banks nationwide. For more information, see https://www.metriciti.com/.
“We were excited to present Josh with our 2024 Rising Star Award,” said CBM President and CEO Michael Tierney. “Josh’s leadership in introducing Metriciti exemplifies everything this award was intended to recognize. His commitment to ensuring that ChoiceOne could serve the Bank’s communities effectively and efficiently in the face of increasing technology demands is remarkable. His ability to find practical and cost-effective solutions for our community banking industry is significant.”
Hucul noted after receiving the Rising Star Award for Metriciti, “I am incredibly honored to receive the Rising Star Award from the Community Bankers of Michigan. Leading the development of a new commercial lending platform that challenges the status quo, and seeing the tangible benefits from this work, has been a deeply rewarding experience. This recognition reflects the dedication of ChoiceOne Bank in using innovative ideas and technology to better serve clients and create meaningful solutions to drive growth. I look forward to Metriciti broadening its impact, empowering other institutions, and contributing to the advancement of the banking industry.”
About Community Bankers of Michigan
The Community Bankers of Michigan is a 250-member trade association serving community banks, and their financial services partners, throughout Michigan. With headquarters in East Lansing, Michigan, the Community Bankers of Michigan is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, professional education programs, and high-quality products and services. For more information visit www.cbofm.org. One Mission. Community Banks.
About ChoiceOne
ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Sparta, Michigan, and the parent corporation of ChoiceOne Bank. Member FDIC. ChoiceOne Bank operates 35 offices in parts of Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Newaygo, Lapeer, St. Clair, Macomb, and Oakland counties. ChoiceOne is an approximately $2.6 billion-asset bank holding company making it the eighth largest bank holding company in Michigan based on asset size. ChoiceOne Bank offers insurance and investment products through its subsidiary, ChoiceOne Insurance Agencies, Inc. ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “COFS.” For more information, please visit Investor Relations at ChoiceOne’s website choiceone.bank.