SUMTER, S.C. – SAFE Federal Credit Union said it has named a new president/CEO to succeed the retiring Darrell Merkel.
Merkel, who has served as CEO since March 2017 and been with the credit union for 32 years, has announced plans to step down this summer. SAFE FCU said it has selected Michael Baker to lead the organization.
Baker will take over on May 2.
Baker brings almost 20 years of credit union experience into the position, including leadership roles in branch management and administration, facilities and security, the credit union said. Baker currently serves as EVP / chief operations officer with areas of responsibility that include information systems, risk management and compliance, continuous improvement, member experience (branches and call center) and operations. During his time on the senior leadership team, SAFE’s assets have more than doubled, the credit union added.
To aid in the transition, Merkel will serve as EVP/COO on an interim basis until the role can be filled permanently.
Board Says Thank You
“We are very pleased that Michael has accepted the president/CEO position,” said Chairperson Dr. Kay Oldhouser Davis. “The board has great confidence in him. We know he will continue the very positive momentum the credit union has had in the last few years and will lead the organization toward even more opportunities to serve our members.
“I also want to thank Darrell Merkel, who agreed to come back to the credit union over three years ago to lead us through some of the most positive and proactive changes SAFE has made in the last 20 years. I thank him for all he has done and his commitment to stay on for a period of time as we search for a new EVP/COO.”
The $1.1-billion SAFE FCU has more than 128,000 members.