Women in Technology: Solarity Credit Unions Michelle Hatton

In what is a recurring feature, Finopotamus spotlights innovative women who are positively impacting technology applications in the credit union industry, and beyond.

In the latest installment in our “Women in Technology” series, we visited with Solarity Credit Unions’ CIO Michelle Hatton. The $825 million Yakima, Wash.-based credit union supports more than 46,000 members and six branch locations.

By W.B. King

Referring to her career path as a jungle gym of sorts, Michelle Hatton began her career as a teller at a credit union. “Then I moved into accounting, after a friend encouraged me to try that role,” she told Finopotamus. “I later transitioned into lending as a loan officer, where I developed a strong foundation in member service and financial solutions.”

The Washington State College graduate next accepted a position as a data processor—what she called a team of one.  “While I didn’t have a formal background in technology, I had already become the go-to person in lending whenever the system acted up or equipment needed troubleshooting. I learned quickly on the job and eventually earned an IT degree to strengthen my skills and validate my expertise,” said Hutton of her graduation from Western CUNA Management School. “Overall, my career has been shaped by staying curious and embracing new challenges—and that’s what makes working in technology so rewarding for me as there is always something new to learn.” 

Michelle Hatton

During those early years working in tech, Hatton said IT was often treated as a “behind-the-scenes function" where other departments typically only engaged IT when something needed “to be fixed or delivered.” Since then, there has been an organizational evolution where technology is recognized as a strategic driver of the business, she added. “There has been a major shift toward transparency, collaboration, and shared ownership. Senior leaders are now actively involved in conversations around priorities, timelines, risk, and how technology decisions directly impact operations and long-term growth."

Hatton has had a front row seat to this shift—witnessing the improvement of both expectations and outcomes. "Instead of IT being expected to manage every demand independently, leadership teams now partner with IT to make informed decisions about what work should be done and what tradeoffs are necessary,” she noted. “This partnership creates better alignment, more realistic planning, and ultimately more successful implementations.”

Balancing Kindness and Accountability

Over the last 20 years, she said another noticeable change has been the number of women working in technology, especially at fintechs and credit unions. Early on, it was particularly rare to see a woman in an IT leadership role whereas today it is more common, she explained.

“Having more women in technology brings greater diversity of thought, leadership style, and problem-solving perspective, which strengthens teams and leads to better decision-making. In my experience, diversity directly supports innovation because it challenges traditional thinking and encourages new approaches,” she continued. “I also believe this shift is important beyond IT. Diversity across the entire credit union is critical to long-term growth and relevance, because it helps ensure we’re building solutions and services that reflect the needs of the people we serve.”

Among Hatton’s champions has been Solarity’s CEO Mina Worthington. Explaining that she grew up in an environment where women typically didn’t pursue careers or professional ambition, Worthington, she said, represents an intelligent, capable, and decisive leader. These character traits have had a significant impact on Hatton who began working at the credit union in 2011 as a senior system administrator. In January 2026, she was named CIO.

“Mina led with a strong balance of kindness and accountability, and she demonstrated what strong leadership looks like—setting clear expectations, encouraging growth, and empowering others to step outside their comfort zones,” she told Finopotamus. “Her example helped shape how I viewed my own potential and gave me the confidence to pursue opportunities I may not have otherwise considered.”

Always eager to pay her experiences forward, Hatton is intentional when encouraging others and sharing knowledge—supporting team members who are learning new skills or stepping into unfamiliar roles, she said. “I’ve seen how powerful it can be when someone believes in you early on, and I make it a priority to be that person for others whenever I can.”

Modernizing the Member Experience

Among tech trends on Hatton’s radar is the increased use of data analytics to better understand target markets and drive smarter, more strategic decision-making. She called this trend “one of the most impactful recent innovations” in years.

“Credit unions have always been relationship-focused, but now they’re able to strengthen those relationships by using data to clearly identify member needs, behaviors, and opportunities,” she said. “This data driven approach has helped our credit union improve engagement, strengthen member relationships, and make smarter decisions about where to invest time and resources.”

Another area of interest and excitement is real-time payments, which is allowing members to move money instantly, when it makes sense for them, without delays, unnecessary fees, or barriers, she explained. “Credit unions that embrace real-time payment capabilities are going to be in a much stronger position to stay relevant and competitive.”

The evolution of stablecoin and blockchain technologies is also a topic of interest. And while she said the segment is still maturing, the potential is significant. “Especially around faster settlement and lower-cost money movement. As affordability becomes an even bigger issue for consumers, I believe demand will continue to grow for payment options that are simple, immediate, and cost-effective,” she continued. “Ultimately, these trends are exciting because they give credit unions an opportunity to modernize the member's experience while staying true to their mission of providing accessible, affordable financial services.”

Delivering Impactful Solutions

As a longtime credit union enthusiast, Hatton said that from a technological stance, the industry differentiates itself from other financial institutions due to its mission-driven focus on doing what is best for the members.

“Technology decisions aren’t driven solely by profit or scale—they’re guided by the goal of improving the member experience and supporting financial well-being. That mindset influences everything from how a credit union prioritizes projects to how they evaluate fintech partnerships and implement digital tools,” she noted. “Credit unions tend to focus on solutions that deliver long-term value to members rather than simply chasing technology that will increase profits.”

For credit union to reach respective tech goals, she said partnership with like-minded fintechs is necessary because these organizations often develop “innovative tools and platforms at a speed and scale that most credit unions cannot realistically build” internally.

“This allows credit unions to adopt modern capabilities faster and remain competitive. The fintech's who partner with the credit unions get access to a deep knowledge of member needs and regulatory realities,” Hatton continued. “The most successful partnerships I’ve seen are the ones where the fintech and credit union closely collaborate to combine innovation with real-world insight to deliver solutions that are truly impactful for our members.”