"I love solving problems, developing talented people and figuring out how to take our service to the next level," said Willard Ross, senior vice president/chief retail officer at the over $2.2 billion Coastal Federal Credit Union in Raleigh, N.C.

That he gets to do just that every day, working alongside a team dedicated to creating customized member-centric solutions to help further the organization, represents a homecoming of sorts and he likens it to being a kid in a candy store.

"I've been given the ability to take and apply everything I've learned over my 38-year career," said Ross, who spent some time on the "dark side" at banks and became frustrated with the inability to execute a strategy long-term.