CEO Bill Lawton Announces Retirement From Community Financial CU
Lawton has been with the credit union for 40 years.
In 1982, A Flock of Seagulls had “I Ran” and Air Supply had “Even the Nights Are Better,” while Plymouth, Mich.-based Community Financial Credit Union had William Lawton walk through its doors for the first time. Forty years later, the CEO Lawton announced his plans to retire in 2022.
According to a statement from Community Financial ($1.2 billion in assets, 82,856 members), Lawton worked his way through the technology side of the credit union before landing the CEO position, and has been a staple figure in the Plymouth area for decades. Lawton said he will retire next July.
In an email to staff, Lawton said, ““It is difficult to convey how grateful I am for your support during my tenure as the CEO of Community Financial. Together, we have changed lives for the better and made our communities even more vibrant places to work and live.”
According to the credit union, Community Financial has grown from $300 million in assets in 2004 to over $1.2 billion in assets. The board has retained Humanidei + O’Rourke to lead the search for their next CEO.
“I have enjoyed no greater satisfaction in serving my credit union members than in serving during Bill Lawton’s leadership,” said Dan Herriman, Community Financial board member. “It’s been inspiring to witness Bill’s passion and knowledge. He has served in many leadership roles on boards and would blush if he knew how much he is revered as a thoughtful and compassionate leader. Thank you, Bill Lawton, for everything you did for Community Financial and its membership.”
“I am looking forward to the personal time I will gain in retirement, knowing that I will miss the work and the people that mean so much to me,” Lawton said. “However, I am confident that our credit union’s best years are still yet to come.”