Parish, who has been at Wings Financial for 20 years, announced his retirement in May. He was at the helm when the credit union initiated what many considered to be the first hostile takeover attempt of a credit union, Continental Federal Credit Union.

"Frank is a great choice for our next leader," said Parish. "The board looked at an extremely talented applicant pool from across the country and within the organization and made an excellent decision. I'm pleased to add my voice to those welcoming Frank, and I look forward to watching the credit union reach new heights in the years to come."

The announcement caps a succession planning process that has been underway since mid-year 2010, according to Wings Financial. The process began with an initial review of more than 100 candidates and narrowed to the final consideration of several applicants.

"The board is excited to welcome Frank aboard," said Michael Cooper, chairman of Wings Financial's board of directors. "He is steeped in the credit union culture and its focus on members. He understands the importance of customer service and shares our belief that it is the key to our continued success. He knows the airline industry and Minnesota and he knows what it takes to grow Wings to the next level."

Weidner said he is looking forward to his new role.

"The credit union is in a great place in terms of its stability and financial strength and it is well-positioned for its next stage of growth and success. It's a pleasure to join the team at Wings and to contribute my efforts to achieving that success," Weidner said.

Founded in 1938 to serve Northwest Airlines employees, Wings Financial has more than 200,000 members and had expanded its field of membership to the 13-county Twin Cities metropolitan area as well as air transportation employees nationwide.