Board Members

Tulip is not-for-profit and owned by the members we serve, in other words you. We exist solely to serve our members, not to enrich a group of stockholders. All credit unions are run by a volunteer board of directors, who are elected by members. Every member has an equal vote in director elections.

On an ongoing basis, Tulip seeks qualified and interested candidates for board of directors and supervisory committee positions. If you are interested in becoming a board member please submit your resume to info@tulipcu.coop.

The Board is required to effectively monitor Tulip’s management performance without undermining their ability to operate the Credit Union. It does this by:

  • Review and approve strategic objectives on an annual basis
  • Approve the Credit Union’s annual operating budget
  • Approve or recommend changes strategies and policies; such as loans, fees and investments
  • Evaluate the effectiveness Tulip’s management by selection and evaluation of the CEO

Eric Bowman, Chair

Eric Bowman has been a Director for the Credit Union since the fall of 2006; he now currently serves as the Secretary. Eric is a Cooperative Development Specialist with the Northwest Cooperative Development Center. His professional focus is providing technical assistance and business development services to committees seeking to form co-op businesses; in addition, he is a nonprofit manager for his organization. Eric holds a BA from the Evergreen State College with a focus in nonprofit administration and political economy. Previously, Eric owned a small gardening business and worked for several years on an agro-tourism operation conducting Ag education and small animal husbandry. He strongly supports the mission and core work of the credit union and believes a more economically just society is possible.

David Buitenveld, Secretary

David is a Senior Consultant at Beluga Software Inc. a locally owned small business in Olympia which he cofounded in 1999. He has previously served as president and board chair at Beluga, and has nine years of additional experience in the technology field working in positions from lead program to network system administration for regional firms and Microsoft Corporation. He brings this technical expertise to the board’s MIS oversight. He received his BS in Mathematics from The Evergreen State College. He is involved in the community as president of the Thurston County Progressive Network and as a volunteer with the Farm Bank Project.

Chris Thorton, Board Member

Chris Thornton is the co-owner and founder of, Precious Metalsmith in downtown Olympia. There he provides a broad range of highly specialized jewelry services including engraving, lapidary and custom design. You may know him from the Olympia Farmers Market where his business got its start 10 years ago. As a small business owner, he understands the importance of access to credit and is eager to apply his skills for the good of his community.

Loren Kiser, Board Member

Full bio to be posted soon.

Heather Morford, Board Member

Heather is a Business Liaison for the Administrative Office of the Courts, State of Washington, specializing in strategic planning, policy development, marketing communications and relationship management for the Washington State Judiciary.  Her previous experience includes over twelve years in the public relations and marketing field working for startups, med to large sized companies and non-profits.  Previous positions include Director of Public Relations for a high-tech company, to Founder and Broker of a successful real estate company.  Heather has led numerous high-profile communications and marketing initiatives from grassroots engagements to product launches and brings her demonstrated broad knowledge, experience and professional judgment in marketing, communications and real estate to the credit union.  Additionally Heather sits on the Board of Directors for South Sound Family Services .  She is a graduate of The Evergreen State College, earning her BA in International Communications and Computer Science.

Supervisory Committee

The Supervisory Committee provides oversight of the safety and soundness of Tulip through monitoring risks and controls associated with its business objectives, strategies, and plans. The Supervisory Committee provides assistance to the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities with respect to:

  • Adequacy of internal controls and operational risk management
  • Integrity of financial reporting
  • Appointment of the Credit Union’s independent auditor to perform the internal audit function
  • Credit Union legal and regulatory compliance

Joel Hanson, Chair Supervisory Committee

Full bio to be posted soon.

TULIP Cooperative Credit Union, a community development credit union for low-income people in Thurston County, Washington, is seeking qualified and interested candidates for board of directors and supervisory committee positions. These positions require a three-year commitment of time and energy.

If you are interested in becoming a board member please submit your resume to info@tulipcu.coop.