The NCUA said Monday that Region III Director Herb Yolles is retiring after 35 years with the agency and that he will be succeeded by Myra Toeppe, currently the acting director of supervision in the Office of Examination and Insurance.

Region III is based in Atlanta and comprises Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Toeppe will assume those duties on Jan. 1, the same time as Ohio will move to Region II and Arkansas and Louisiana will become part of Region III, the agency said.

Toeppe joined the NCUA in 2011 as associate regional director for operations in Region III after nearly 25 years in financial services regulation, including at the Office of Thrift Supervision and the Federal Home Loan Bank in Atlanta, the agency said.

“I'm looking forward to working closely with Myra,” Board Member Rick Metsger said in the agency's announcement. “She and I have both taken new positions at NCUA during a time of opportunity and challenge for the industry. I'm confident that Myra will bring new ideas, a fresh set of eyes and a balanced approach to address the problems facing federally insured credit unions in Region III.”

Yolles, meanwhile, is one of the last NCUA employees to have worked with every board member since the panel was created in 1978.

“During more than three decades at NCUA and especially the last three-and-a-half years in Region III, Herb has truly seen it all and practically done it all,” said NCUA Board Chairman Debbie Matz. “To ensure continued access to affordable financial services for millions of Americans, Herb has been tireless in his efforts to make the credit union industry safe and sound.”