Freedom First Appoints Jennifer Rheinheimer as Chief Financial Officer

January 5, 2026 (Roanoke, VA) — Freedom First Credit Union has announced the appointment of Jennifer Rheinheimer as Chief Financial Officer. Jennifer has served as Vice President of Finance for the past three years and will succeed Linda Johnson, current CFO, as she assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer.

 As Chief Financial Officer, Jennifer will oversee the Accounting, Finance, Compliance, Audit, and Business Intelligence departments. With these teams, she will work to maintain and grow the community-focused financial foundation of Freedom First through financial planning, asset-liability management, and strategic analysis for the organization’s $1 billion balance sheet. “As a Roanoke native, I’m passionate about using this role as a way to advance the Credit Union’s mission and promote financial inclusion for our communities,” said Rheinheimer.

 Jennifer has been a trusted member of the Freedom First team for over a decade, and has led critical initiatives including secondary capital acquisition, liquidity strategies, derivative strategies to manage risk, and ALCO governance. She holds a degree in Accounting from Radford University, is a graduate of the Financial Managers School at the Graduate School of Banking and has earned two advanced industry certifications: Certified Credit Union Compliance Officer (CUCO) and Certified Credit Union Investment Professional (CCUIP) through America’s Credit Unions. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in Corporate Finance.

 As Jennifer begins her new responsibilities, she will work with her peers to create opportunities to serve greater Lynchburg and also expand Freedom First’s impact in the Roanoke, New River Valley, and Lynchburg areas.