CUNA said Wednesday that John Franklin, its executive vice president and chief operating officer, is retiring on March 29.

Franklin has been managing overall strategic, tactical and administrative operations for CUNA and CUNA Strategic Services and joined the trade group in December 2003.

He had been with the South Carolina Credit Union League for 30 years prior to joining CUNA, including his final eight as president/CEO.

“John Franklin has nearly 40 years' service to the credit union movement, with bottom-to-top experience in nearly every aspect of the organization, operation and representation of credit unions. His leadership and insights have been invaluable to CUNA over the past nine years that he has been with us. I thank him for his service and friendship and wish him the very best in the next chapter of his life,” CUNA President/CEO Bill Cheney said in a statement.