Iowa-Based CU CEO to Retire, Successor Named

The Des Moines, Iowa-based Affinity Credit Union ($143 million in assets, 13,519 members) announced Tuesday its CEO Jim Dean has decided to retire after more than 30 years in the credit union industry. Officials with Affinity also announced the credit union’s vice president of lending, Jeremy Smith, has been chosen to take over the CEO position.

According to Affinity, Dean will officially step down on Jan. 31, 2024 after more than five years leading the credit union.

Prior to his time at Affinity, Dean led the Plainfield, Ill.-based Oak Trust Credit Union for 27 years. Oak Trust was merged into the Warrenville, Ill.-based NorthStar Credit Union in 2016 and the credit union has since changed its name to NuMark Credit Union.

Dean began his tenure at Affinity in 2018 and, according to the credit union, has been an effective leader in a number of ways including his help in establishing Affinity’s “Building Better Lives” mission statement “which continues to shape the values and motivation of the credit union.”

Incoming CEO Smith, a lifelong native of Des Moines, has been in the credit union industry for more than a decade and has overseen Affinity’s lending programs as well as managed the collection and retail branch operations.