Neighbor to Neighbor.

The Board of Directors of Leominster Credit Union has appointed John O'Brien president and CEO. O'Brien will assume the role from Carol Southworth, who has served as interim President and CEO since January.

O'Brien joined LCU in 2007 as senior vice president of lending, where he was responsible for the credit union's real estate, consumer, and indirect lending programs, as well as its loan servicing and collections operations. O'Brien has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and previously worked in operations, sales and planning capacities at Household International, and HSBC after it acquired Household.

"The board is extremely pleased with the appointment of John O'Brien as president and CEO," said Anthony Gasbarro, chairman of the board. "By selecting a candidate of John's caliber from inside the credit union, not only did we find someone with great leadership and management skills, but one who knows the organization very well and who, as a member of the Executive Team, has helped establish its goals and strategic direction throughout the past five years."

"I am truly honored to have been named as president and CEO of such a great institution as Leominster Credit Union," O'Brien said. "Over the past five years, I've had the pleasure of working with an outstanding team who is truly dedicated to making the Credit Union the best it can be. I believe that because of this talented and committed staff, my transition to president and CEO will be virtually seamless to the members and communities we serve."

Jacquelyn Murtha, of Bolton, graduated on May 18, with a bachelor's in theater, with an emphasis in musical theater, from the University of New Hampshire.

She was also recognized at graduation as a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, the world's largest collegiate honor society with membership by invitation only to the top 15 percent of the university's sophomores, juniors and seniors.

In December 2013, she plans to complete her second degree at UNH, a bachelor's in business administration, with an option in marketing.

Christine Cassidy, of Lancaster, was appointed by Fallon Community Health Plan (FCHP) as chief communications officer. In this position, she will be responsible for all of the company's communication functions, including marketing communications, advertising, brand management and promotion, public and community relations, digital communications, and internal communications.

Cassidy joined FCHP in 2002 and has held various communications-related roles, most recently serving as vice president of corporate...