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Nick Wodogaza's name is synonymous with the Columbia, S.C.-based Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union as he has been its CEO for nearly 30 years. On Thursday, it was announced that Wodogaza will retire on Jan. 31, 2023 and the credit union's Board of Directors selected Robert Dozier, Jr. to become the next CEO.
In a statement from Palmetto Citizens, the Board had been working on finding the right CEO candidate for the past six months after Wodogaza informed Board members of his intention to retire.
Wodogaza has been a major force behind the growth of Palmetto Citizens over the years, as well as a significant influence on advancing the credit union movement in South Carolina for more than four decades.
"We are tremendously grateful for Nick's leadership throughout the past 28 years as CEO," said Board Chairman Steve Hamm. "Since announcing his intention to retire, our entire Board immediately recognized that we faced a significant challenge in finding a suitable replacement given the outstanding work and devoted service Mr. Wodogaza has rendered our credit union, staff and to our members for over a quarter of a century."
Nick Wodogaza According to Palmetto Citizens, during Wodogaza's tenure, the credit union has grown its membership from 23,000 to more than 100,000 and assets from $102 million to today's $1.3 billion.
In a prepared statement, Wodogaza said, "I have been extremely fortunate to serve our credit union over the years, and to work alongside so many incredible people who share the same focus of making Palmetto Citizens the best place for our members and staff. I know our organization's devotion to serving our members will remain a top priority as Palmetto Citizens enters its next chapter of serving members today and in the coming years."
Robert Dozier, Jr. According to a statement from the credit union's Board, they used the services of PLR, Inc. to find the next CEO. For Dozier, who has been in the financial services industry for more than 30 years, his experience as president of First Reliance Bancshares and senior executive vice president and chief operating officer of First Reliance Bank helped him stand out from the other candidates interviewed for the position.
"I am honored for this opportunity to build upon the foundation Mr. Wodogaza, and the entire staff of the credit union, have built," said Dozier. "Through my time living in the Columbia area, as well as my work with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, I have become very familiar and impressed with Palmetto Citizens and the great work they are doing for their members and community. I look forward to working with a very talented team to continue to build upon this best-in-class financial institution for the members we are so fortunate to serve."
Dozier will take over as CEO on Feb. 1, 2023.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
