Wespay Advisors was founded with a single purpose: to provide quality payments expertise while maintaining value. Since our inception in 2016, Financial Institutions, FinTechs, Third-Party providers, technology companies, and other businesses have all benefited from our guidance in all areas of payments.
Whether you need guidance in Retail Banking, Risk Management, Payment Operations, Treasury Management, or Regulatory Compliance, it’s this level of knowledge that allows us to provide the direction needed to put you on target.
Regardless of the payment direction you need, Wespay Advisors can guide you toward success.
We pride ourselves on over 300 years of combined financial services experience and the talent of our people. Our seasoned consultants are accredited professionals holding multiple industry credentials, including:
Wespay Advisors follows The Institute of Internal Auditors’ standards. Our consultants are strictly prohibited from performing audits within one year following conclusion of a consulting project for each client. We will assign an auditor who was not engaged in delivering the consulting services for a mutual client.
Jennifer Blevins serves as President of Wespay Advisors, bringing 20+ years of experience across sales, product development, treasury management, and strategic business development within the financial services and payments industry. In this role, she leads the organization’s consulting and risk management services initiatives, helping financial institutions and businesses navigate evolving payments systems, mitigate risk, and optimize operational efficiency.
Prior to joining Wespay Advisors, Jennifer held senior leadership roles in national and regional financial institutions, where she directed teams in delivering innovative treasury and cash management solutions. With a strong foundation in client-centric sales and product strategy, she built robust pipelines and long-term partnerships that accelerated revenue growth and positioned organizations for scalable success. Additionally, she volunteered with Wespay on the Member Advisory Council for over twelve years and served as the council Chair during that time.
Jennifer served as a Board member (VP Website) for the Northwest Association for Financial Professionals (NWAFP) from 2013 – 2016 and as the Entertainment Chair for the Northwest Association for Financial Professionals (NWAFP) Summit from 2012 – 2017. She was also the recipient of the Wespay Frank E. Zima Award for Payments Advocacy in 2016 and holds the designation of Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) and National Check Professional (NCP). Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Communication from California State University of Sacramento.
Lori Bell serves as Senior Vice President of Consulting and Business Development at Wespay Advisors. She brings more than three decades of financial services experience across retail and commercial banking, wealth management, and treasury management consulting. Throughout her career, Lori has built and led commercial payment services teams, with responsibility for sales, client support, and treasury management operations.
Lori partners with financial institutions, fintech companies, and commercial clients to simplify and modernize payment processes—improving ease of doing business while strengthening controls to mitigate payment risk and reduce fraud exposure.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Western Governors University and maintains the Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) designation from the Association for Financial Professionals. She previously held FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 licenses.
Outside of work, Lori enjoys gardening, hiking with her three dogs, and spending time with her husband and family.
Brian Stearns is a Senior Payments Consultant with Wespay Advisors, in addition to his role as Vice President, Supervisor of Risk Management Services. Brian spent almost 10 years working for credit unions processing and managing electronic payments systems, including over 6 years at Farmers Insurance Group Federal Credit Union where he managed the ACH, Share Draft and Wire Transfer payment channels. He has an extensive background in risk management and leveraging risk mitigation to pursue strategic goals. Brian has consulted with clients on a variety of projects, including developing an E-Banking Risk Review, Remote Deposit Capture risk management, implementing ACH origination and Operations Process Improvements.
Brian served on Wespay’s Rules Advisory Council where he acted as a voice for credit unions regarding rule changes in the ACH Network. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Argosy University and is an Accredited ACH Professional (AAP), National Check Professional (NCP) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).
Dina Cannavo brings over 20 years of professional management experience to her role as Wespay Advisors’ Business Manager. Prior to joining our team, Dina spent several years as the Compliance Officer for a restaurant franchisor, eleven years in multi-family property management, and six years in retail management.
Dina’s day-to-day includes reviewing service agreements, executing contracts, billing, and resource allocation. She is the focal point and is considered instrumental in working with our clients to facilitate the seamless rollout of Wespay Advisors’ Risk Management and Consulting Services.
As a Risk & Compliance Auditor for Wespay Advisors, Kristin Butcher conducts ACH Audits and Risk Reviews for our clients. Prior to joining our company, she spent 15 years as an Assistant ACH Manager for a credit union where she managed the ACH processing team, including compliance, audits, daily transaction processing, and oversight for projects to launch new processes and products. As a payments enthusiast, Kristin earned her Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) designation in 2016.
As a Payments Consultant & Auditor with Wespay Advisors, Nathan Carman brings over 20 years of experience in the banking industry, including over 14 years in various positions in retail branch banking and almost 6 years at Technology Credit Union managing ACH, Share Draft, Wire, ATM and Card Services. He has focused his career on process improvement and creating operational efficiency through automation and system integration. Nathan works with our clients on conducting Audits and Risk Reviews, as well as consulting projects around ACH process improvements, mitigating fraud risk, launching ACH origination, and workflow management.
Nathan earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from University California Irvine and a Masters in Business Administration from University of Phoenix. He is a National Check Professional (NCP), Accredited ACH Professional (AAP), and Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP).
As a Payments Consultant with Wespay Advisors, Thomas conducts ACH Audits and Risk Reviews for our clients. Before joining Wespay, Thomas spent over five years working for credit unions focusing on compliance, dispute resolution, training, process improvement, and daily processing for ACH, checks, wire, and Zelle payments.
Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. He is an Accredited ACH Professional (AAP), Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP), and National Check Professional (NCP).
As a Risk & Compliance Auditor for Wespay Advisors, Tiffany Steen conducts ACH Audits and Risk Reviews for our clients. Before joining Wespay, Tiffany spent over 18 years at a credit union where she developed expertise in electronic payments, auditing, procedures, process management, and staff development. As a leader, Tiffany consistently drove operational improvements and ensured compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. Holding Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) and Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP) certifications, Tiffany is committed to optimizing payment systems and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
AVP, Risk & Regulatory Compliance
Kayla brings over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, with a strong focus on payments operations and risk management. At Wespay, she leads audits and risk reviews, ensuring that member organizations maintain compliance and operational excellence. Her work directly supports Wespay’s mission to remain a leader in the payments industry by delivering exceptional audit services and fostering trust across the network.
Prior to joining Wespay, Kayla served as Vice President of Card & Payments Services at a local credit union, where she oversaw daily operations for ACH, checks, wires, cards, ATMs, and Zelle payments. Her career spans both frontline branch roles and back-office operations, giving her a comprehensive understanding of the payments ecosystem.
Kayla holds multiple industry accreditations, including AAP (Accredited ACH Professional), AFPP (Accredited Faster Payments Professional), APRP (Accredited Payments Risk Professional), and NCP (National Check Professional). She is deeply committed to professional development and actively mentors others pursuing payment accreditations.
Outside of work, Kayla enjoys international travel with her family, exploring Portland’s food scene, and solving puzzles. A natural leader, Kayla is passionate about helping others achieve their goals and continues to champion growth and innovation in the payments industry.
Connie LaChance is a Payments Consultant & Auditor with over 19 years of experience in the financial industry. In her experience as the Payments Systems Manager at Ent Credit Union, Connie has an extensive background in vendor evaluation, system conversions and overall system management for the institution’s ACH platform. During her tenure at the credit union, she helped launch corporate ACH origination, as well as managed the bill payment solution for members.
Connie works with Wespay Advisors’ clients on projects related to launching an ACH origination program, process improvement and policy management for existing solutions, and vendor evaluation and selection. Connie holds the Accredited ACH Professional (AAP), Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP), and National Check Professional (NCP) credentials. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Regis University.
Jim is responsible for developing and providing payments education and training to Wespay members through workshops and webinars. He also supports our members who reach out for assistance via our Payments Hotline by leveraging his expertise to provide guidance and insights to address their inquiries. In addition, he performs audits and assists with consulting engagements as well.
Prior to joining Wespay, Jim was the Customer Service Manager for Bank of America’s ACH Regional Processing Center in Seattle.
Jim is an Accredited ACH Professional (AAP), an Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP), and a National Check Professional (NCP). He is also a member of the Nacha Rules and Ops Committee and the APRP Oversight Panel. He is active in the Catholic Church and participates in several Ministries. In his free time, Jim enjoys playing with his kids, taking advantage of all the fun things the Pacific Northwest has to offer, and spending time with friends and family.
AVP, Education & Events
Jeff is responsible for producing and delivering payments education and training to Wespay members through workshops and webinars. With a passion for payments, he aims to build and share knowledge with members in effective and meaningful ways. He also supports members who reach out via our Payments Hotline, providing guidance while helping payments professionals on their journeys.
Prior to joining Wespay, Jeff spent over 12 years in various roles, including Branch Relationship Specialist, Contact Center Senior Representative, and Payments Department Team Lead. His most recent position was Payments Department Supervisor.
Jeff holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Washington. He is an Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) and Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP). In addition, he was selected into Wespay’s Emerging Leaders in Payments Program in 2022 – 2023 where he worked closely with our leadership team to gain valuable career-developing skills. Outside of work, Jeff’s interests include political history and anything related to Star Wars.
SVP, Education & Events
Carmen is responsible for creating and delivering payments education and training to Wespay members. She also assists members who call for help on our Payments Hotline and is a host on our Payments Perspective Podcast.
Prior to joining Wespay, Carmen spent 24 years in the financial industry. She has experience at both banks and credit unions, in jobs ranging from front-line to back-office operations. This includes over eight years managing payment operations teams including deposit operations, cash management, project implementation, and credit cards. Additionally, she volunteered with Wespay on the Member Advisory Council for seven years and served as the council Chair during that time.
Carmen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management from Whitworth University and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. She is an Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) and Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP). In her free time Carmen enjoys traveling, live music, and playing video games with her son.
