RIVERSIDE, Calif.–The $1.2-billion Altura Credit Union has named a CEO to succeed the retiring Mark Hawkins.
The credit union said that effective Feb. 20, Jennifer Binkley will lead the organization. Binkley has been executive vice president and chief operating officer of Altura for nine years.
Altura announced in May 2016 that Hawkins, who has been CEO since 1988, planned to step down in February 2017. The credit union said its nationwide recruiting effort reviewed more than 200 interested candidates before selecting Binkley.
“The process of choosing a successor for Mark was a challenging one,” said ACU Chair Ofelia Valdez-Yeager, in a statement. “He has served as Altura’s leader for nearly 30 years, almost half of the six decades of the credit union’s existence. His commitment to our members, our employees and our community has been validated again and again. The board took seriously our role of finding a CEO who will build upon Mark’s legacy and carry Altura forward to an even brighter future. After meeting with numerous candidates and much deliberation, the board is confident that Jennifer is the best person for that role,” she added.
Added Hawkins, “Jennifer has come up through the ranks of Altura, and she has proven herself every step of the way. She is well prepared for the challenges she will face as CEO. She understands Altura, is dedicated to meeting our members’ needs and is devoted to our community. Jennifer is going to do a great job and I’m excited for her,” he added.
In 2002, Binkley joined Altura as president of the credit union’s Auto Expert subsidiary, an auto locating and buying service. After serving nearly six years as Auto Expert’s president, Binkley was tapped for the role of executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2008.
The credit union said that under Binkley’s leadership at Auto Expert was recognized with the Gold Level California Award for Performance Excellence (CAPE) from the California Council on Excellence in 2008, which is California’s state-level affiliate of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards.
“I am honored to be chosen as the next CEO of Altura Credit Union,” said Binkley. “Mark is an amazing leader and a visionary. Following him is a little daunting, but I am definitely up to the challenge. I am committed to serving Altura’s members, our team and the Inland Empire community. Together, all of us at Altura are focused on introducing products and services that help our members achieve their financial goals. I also pledge to continue Altura’s legacy of charitable giving and working with local partners to invest in community success for all of us.”