BISMARCK, N.D.—The Credit Union Association of the Dakotas (CUAD) has named Jeff Olson as its new president/CEO.
Olson, who has been the executive vice president of government affairs for the association since 2008, has been acting as the interim CEO since mid-July.
“Everyone at CUAD and more specifically, our members across the Dakotas, are excited that Jeff Olson will be leading our professional credit union association,” said Travis Kasten, CUAD board chair and president/CEO of Service First FCU, Sioux Falls, S.D., in a statement. “As our government advocacy leader for the last several years, Jeff certainly has a handle on the complex issues facing our industry today. More importantly, he has the experience and leadership skills to continue moving our association forward in a positive direction.”
Olson replaces former CEO Robbie Thompson, who left to become executive director of the Professional Liability Underwriters Society (PLUS) in Minneapolis in July.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to lead the association,” said Olson. “The financial cooperative model today faces many challenges; however, there is a unique opportunity to collectively collaborate and successfully strengthen our operating environment while promoting credit unions as a financial alternative to traditional banking. I’m looking forward to working collaboratively with the board and staff in serving and meeting our members’ expectations,” he concluded.