RIVERSIDE, Calif.–Mark Hawkins, the long-time president of Altura Credit Union, has announced plans to retire in February of 2017.
The credit union announced that it has launched a search for a replacement.
Hawkins, 64, was hired as chief executive officer of what was then known as Riverside Schools Credit Union in February 1988. At the time, the credit union had $37 million in total assets, three branches, 28 employees and 14,000 Members. Today, Altura has grown to $1.205 billion in assets, 13 branch locations, 375 employees and 116,000 members. Those numbers include a 2015 merger with Visterra Credit Union. Altura is the largest credit union headquartered in Inland Southern California.
“Over the years Mark Hawkins has repeatedly demonstrated his commitment to Altura’s members and the community at large. We have some big shoes to fill,” said Ofelia Valdez-Yeager, Altura’s board chairman. “Making our job easier is knowing that Mark is turning over a financial institution that is strong and well positioned to meet the needs of our members and our communities of service now and into the future.”
The credit union noted that in recent years, Altura has been recognized three times with the state-level equivalent of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and has been cited as a top employer many times. Additionally, the readers of the Press-Enterprise, the Inland Empire’s largest newspaper, have selected Altura as the “Best Bank or Credit Union” in the past three of four years.
The search process for Altura’s new CEO is expected to take six to eight months.