GERMANTOWN, Penn.–After 42 years in credit unions, James H. Norris has announced plans to retire as CEO of SkyPoint FCU.
During his 12 years as CEO at SkyPoint, Norris oversaw a quadrupling of assets to more than $213 million.
“Funds were tight in the 2011 post-recession economy. However, immediately upon being hired as CEO, Norris entered his business plan in a DC 100.3 radio promotion and won,” the credit union said in a statement. “The prize awarded (the CU) 900 free radio spots, including production and air time, worth $62,000.”
SkyPoint FCU said that in 2018, when it was still known as Montgomery County Employees FCU, Norris spearheaded the name change and helped it to earn a community development financial institution designation that widened its membership to include residents of Maryland’s Montgomery and Frederick counties, as well as Northern Virginia and D.C.
‘Advocate for Underserved’
“Norris became an advocate for underserved communities by garnering five CDFI grants of over $4.2 million since 2018 and getting $7 million in secondary capital as part of the Emergency Capital Investment Program in 2022,” the CU said.
Norris began his career as manager/CEO of Mercy Hospital Employee FCU at the age of 22. From there, he was hired as the College Park branch manager/branch operations manager of the State Employees CU of Maryland (SECU MD), then as VP of delivery systems at NIHFCU and CEO of the AFL-CIO CU.
Number of Innovations
“During his career, Norris brought a number of innovative ideas to fruition. At SECU MD, he designed a 38-foot mobile branch that drove to underserved areas of the state with three employees and two ATMs on board,” SkyPoint FCU said. “He designed new branches and oversaw moves to the new sites. Perhaps most memorably, he worked with the security officer to establish new security measures that helped solve an armed robbery attempt by five shotgun-toting thieves, bringing their years-long crime spree to an end.”
SkyPoint FCU said Norris also brought digital banking to NIHFCU in early 1998 just months after starting there, and further introduced mobile banking to members in 2000. He also oversaw two headquarters moves in nine years due to growth.
An ’Honor’
“It’s been an honor to have had the opportunity to connect and work with so many fantastic people over the course of my career and together have an impact on our communities and members,” said Norris. “While we’ve seen much evolution in the credit union industry over the last 42 years – specifically with technology – it’s the people I’ve worked with along the way that have really made the difference.
“Something I learned early on and have always practiced is to listen to my employees’ ideas,” Norris continued. “I’m humbled by all that my teams and I together have been able to accomplish and thank them for their contributions and impact. I wish them much continued success and look forward to new experiences as I enter the next stage of my life.”