REGION 1

States in Region 1: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island and Vermont

Director, Region 1 – Albany—L.J. Blankenberger

L.J. Blankenberger is the Regional Director of the Region 1 – Albany office. As Regional Director, Mr. Blankenberger is responsible for the oversight of federal credit unions and the examination and supervision programs for all federally insured credit unions in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
 
Mr. Blankenberger most recently served as Associate Regional Director for Programs at NCUA’s Region IV office in Austin, Texas.  Previous to that position he served as the Associate Regional Director – for Operations in the Albany office.  He joined NCUA as an examiner in 1987 and his experience includes working as a problem case officer, a supervisory examiner and a director of supervision. 

Prior to joining NCUA, Blankenberger worked in various operational and managerial positions in the credit union industry.
Mr. Blankenberger holds an accounting degree from Indiana State University, Evansville. In January 1988, he received the designation of Certified Credit Union Executive from the National Credit Union Institute.

ARDP—Marcia Sarrazin

Marcia Sarrazin is the Associate Regional Director of Programs for Region 1 of the National Credit Union Administration. She has held that position since March 2010. In that capacity she manages the field staff—supervisors and examiners—of the region. She transferred from the Associate Regional Director of Programs position in Atlanta, which she held for three years.

Ms. Sarrazin began her career with the National Credit Union Administration in 1980 as a cooperative education student from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Her examiner duty stations were in New Jersey and Connecticut. She was a Regional Insurance Director in New York; a Supervisory Examiner in Rhode Island; Supervision Director in the Office of Examination and Insurance; and Associate Regional Director positions in Region 3 prior to her current position.

ARDO—Rebecca Paliwodzinski

Rebecca Paliwodzinski currently serves as Associate Regional Director of Operations for Region 1 of NCUA.  Her areas of responsibility include overseeing the staff in the Regional office as well as the Division of Special Actions.  The credit unions included in the Region 1 territory are in New York, New England, and Michigan.  Rebecca joined NCUA as an examiner in Boston, Massachusetts in 1990.  She has also served as a Supervision Analyst and most recently as the Director of Supervision.  She was named to her current position in August 2012.

Rebecca received a BS degree in Business Administration at Bryant College in Smithfield, Rhode Island.