LA CROSSE, Wis.–Credit unions in two states have named new CEOs.
In Wisconsin, the $1-billion Marine CU said it has selected Darrick Weeks to lead the organization. Weeks has more than 30 years of experience in financial services and began his work in the credit union space in 1995. Across his career, he has held roles as CEO, COO and other executive-level positions.
Most recently, he served as a consultant supporting credit unions around the country in market analysis and strategic planning, the credit union said.
“Throughout his career, Weeks’ emphasis has been on evolving organizations and motivating teams to top performance,” Marine CU said in announcing the hiring, adding “he has also demonstrated a strong commitment to community, engaging on behalf of credit unions and personally.”
“Marine’s mission is deeply rooted in the credit union philosophy of people helping people and that is one of the first things that attracted me to this opportunity,” said Weeks. “I am excited to begin working with the team at Marine Credit Union to make a difference for our employees, members and the communities we serve.”
Focus on ‘Life Ownership’
According to Marine CU, in his new role Weeks will support Marine’s focus on moving members from a place of financial need to a life of ownership and giving back.
“His values are anchored in developing people and delivering exceptional service, and he believes making a positive impact is one of the most important measures of success,” Marine CU said.
Weeks takes over from Tom Knothe, who had been acting as interim CEO.
Marine CU has approximately 79,000 members.
New CEO Goes Rogue
Meanwhile, in Medford, Ore., Rogue Credit Union has named added the CEO title to that of its current president, Matt Stephenson, effective April 1, 2022 following the retirement of long-time CEO Gene Pelham.
Pelham has been with Rogue Credit Union for 18 years.
Stephenson joined the credit union in 2004, serving as the executive vice president for the last 10 years and as president over the past year.
“His leadership has played an instrumental role in many significant projects over the years including the purchase and assumption of Chetco Federal Credit Union, a core system conversion and a merger with Malheur Federal Credit Union,” the credit union said on its website. “As a lifelong credit union member, Stephenson’s passion for the credit union movement will continue to propel Rogue into the future.”
“I have been blessed to work with an amazing team at Rogue for many years,” said Stephenson, who will become just the fifth president/CEO in RCU’s 65-year history. “I am extremely honored and humbled to have been selected to lead Rogue in our continuous pursuit of providing our members with the personalized exceptional service they've come to expect.”
‘Lasting Legacy’
In its statement, Rogue CU said “Gene Pelham leaves a lasting legacy with over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. Gene spent the majority of his career pursuing his passion for service as part of the not-for-profit credit union movement.”
Pelham joined the credit union in 2003 and has served as its fourth president/CEO since 2007. Under his leadership, Rogue Credit Union experienced tremendous success, growing from serving 39,400 members with $303 million in assets to serving over 183,000 members with $3 billion in assets.
“Pelham propelled the credit union to new heights - successfully leading Rogue through the Great Recession, the purchase and assumption of Chetco Federal Credit Union, and most recently, the merger with Malheur Federal Credit Union,” RCU said. “During his tenure, Rogue expanded from seven branch locations to a network of 27 locations, employing over 550 dedicated team members. Under Pelham’s leadership the credit union introduced the Rogue Rewards Ownership Account, which celebrated the cooperative ownership of a not-for-profit member owned financial services provider.”