Credit Unions in Six States Name New CEOs

The board of directors at the $660 million Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union in Baxter selected Bob Gerads as its president/CEO. He succeeds Chuck Albrecht, who is retiring after 20 years of service.

Gerads joins MMFCU with nearly 25 years of experience in banking and credit union management and operations. He most recently served as chief deposit officer for Falcon National Bank in St. Cloud, Minn. Gerads also worked as an operations manager, a branch manager and vice president of deposit support at the $1.7 billion Central Minnesota Credit Union in Melrose.

MMFCU’s 170 employees operate 11 locations and serve more than 57,000 members.

The $526 million SafeAmerica Credit Union in Pleasanton, Calif., said its board chair Frank Zampella has been named interim president/CEO following the retirement of Tom Graves on Jan. 5.

Graves joined SafeAmerica as CEO in August of 2017. He served in the credit union industry for more than 40 years in various locations throughout the U.S. and Guam.

Zampella, who has been a member of SafeAmerica for 40 years and served on the board for the last 36 years, brings a wealth of financial service industry knowledge to the credit union, according to SafeAmerica’s prepared statement.

The credit union’s 72 employees run five locations and serve more than 36,000 members.

Phillip Fifield will become the next president/CEO of the $419 million White Sands Federal Credit Union, the Las Cruces, N.M.-based financial cooperative said.

He will succeed current president/CEO William Jacobs, who plans to retire during the first quarter after more than 25 years of service.

Fifield joined White Sands in 1998 as a branch manager. He was promoted to vice president of operations and currently serves as EVP.

White Sands’ 100 employees operate four locations and serve more than 32,000 members.

Don R. Ford was named president of the $217 million H-E-B Federal Credit Union in San Antonio, the board of directors said.

He will succeed current President/CEO Lynn M. Kincaid, who plans to retire in May after 27 years of service. At that time, Ford will be promoted to the CEO position, the credit union stated.

Ford has served as the credit union’s COO for 25 years.

HEBFCU’s 32 employees operate a branch and serve more than 13,000 members.

The board of directors at the $184 million Towpath Credit Union in Fairlawn, Ohio has named Michael Sferro as president/CEO.

He succeeded Rose Bartolomucci, who retired in December after 37 years serving the credit union movement in the Buckeye State.

Sferro holds more than 20 years of financial services industry experience.

He joined Towpath in 2014 as a branch manager. He was promoted to vice president of lending and also was an SVP. Sferro most recently served as the credit union’s EVP.

Towpath’s 69 employees operate four locations and serve more than 24,000 members.

The board of directors for the $123 million Syracuse Fire Department Employees Federal Credit Union in New York appointed Roxane Bowering as president/CEO.

She succeeds Steven McGraw.

Bowering joined the credit union in 2000 as an accounting manager and most recently served as director of operations.

Syracuse Fire Department Employees FCU’s 14 employees operate one branch and serve more than 6,000 members.