Credit Unions in South Dakota, Montana & Washington Appoint New CEOs
Jerry Schmidt will lead South Dakota’s largest credit union next year, while Casey Klein will take over the helm at Montana’s Valley CU.
On Jan. 4, Jerry Schmidt will become the new president/CEO of Black Hills Federal Credit Union in Rapid City, S.D., the board of directors said.
He will succeed current President/CEO Roger Heacock who is retiring.
Heacock joined Black Hills FCU in 1978 and was promoted to president/CEO in 1983.
Under his executive leadership, the credit union grew from approximately $20 million in assets in 1983 to $1.6 billion in assets in 2020. In those same years, the credit union’s membership jumped from 11,000 to more than 73,000.
Schmidt, a Rapid City native, joined South Dakota’s largest credit union in 2007 as its COO. Before joining the credit union industry, he held several managerial and department positions at Safeway.
Black Hills’s 331 employees operate 15 branches.
Eric Petracca will be the next president/CEO of iQ Credit Union in Vancouver, Wash., on Jan. 1, the board of directors announced.
He succeeds Kelly Schrader, who is leaving the CEO post that she has held since the spring of 2016 to pursue a philanthropic opportunity, according to the credit union.
Under her executive leadership, iQ’s assets grew from $874 million in 2016 to more than $1.5 billion in assets this year. In those same years, the credit union’s membership also expanded from 68,400 to 88,694.
Petracca, iQ’s COO, began his credit union career as a teller at the $196 Lacamas Community Credit Union in Camas, Wash. Over the years, he was promoted to leadership positions at the credit union and was named its CFO in 2012. In 2014, Lacamas Community was merged into iQ.
More than 300 employees at iQ operate 24 branches.
Casey Klein will become the next president/CEO of Valley Credit Union in Billings, Mont., on Jan. 15, the board of directors said.
He will succeed current president/CEO Darla J. Card, who is retiring.
Card has worked at Valley CU for 12 years, serving as EVP and chief loan officer before becoming president/CEO in November 2014.
Under her executive leadership, the credit union’s assets grew from $205 million in 2014 to its current assets of $332 million, while membership also grew from 24,931 to 32,720.
Casey started working at Valley CU in 2008 and was appointed vice president of branches in April 2017 after serving as manager for two branches.
Valley CU’s 95 employees operate nine branches.