Credit Unions in Three States Name New CEOs

Justin Maddison will become president/CEO of the $441 million Western Cooperative Credit Union in Williston, N.D., on April 1, the board of directors said.

He will succeed current Western Cooperative President/CEO Melanie Stillwell, who is retiring. Of the 38 years she worked in the credit union movement, she served 26 years at WCCU.

Maddison currently serves as the credit union’s CFO, a post he has held for more than 12 years.

Prior to WCCU, Maddison served as vice president of business services at North Dakota’s Williston State College and as a lender at a local bank.

“Having worked with Justin for over 12 years, I fully support the board’s decision,” Stillwell said in a prepared statement. “I am confident in Justin’s leadership and his commitment to Western Cooperative Credit Union, our members and the communities we serve.”

The credit union’s 98 employees operate eight locations and serve more than 18,000 members.

The $93.5 million University of Toledo Federal Credit Union in Ohio appointed Greg Cook as its president/CEO.

Cook replaced Bev Trost, who has served as interim CEO since the untimely passing of former CEO Steven Wagner last April at the age of 51.

Cook has 15 years of experience as a president of financial services, mortgage banking and mortgage lending companies in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, according to UTFCU. His LinkedIn profile page showed he served as a member of UTFCU’s supervisory committee from 2019 to 2020 and then served as a UTFCU’s board member from 2020 to 2023.

“We are thrilled to welcome Greg Cook to our team,” UTFCU Board Chair Tom Trimble said in a prepared statement. “We are confident that he will provide strong leadership and strategic vision and innovative communication as we continue to grow and serve our members.”

UTFCU’s 16 employees run three locations and serve more than 5,000 members.

The board of directors for the $91.5 million Connects Federal Credit Union in Richmond, Va., announced the appointment of James McBride as its next president/CEO.

He will succeed current President/CEO Evelyn Dowdy, who is retiring after serving in that top job for nearly 26 years.

McBride most recently served as president/CEO of the $70.5 million Lion’s Share Federal Credit Union in Salisbury, N.C. He also worked as an EVP for the $430 million TENCU in Nashville.

“On behalf of the board, I want to sincerely thank Evelyn for her many years of devoted service she has given to Connects,” Board Chair Dan Vandervort said in a prepared statement. “She has worked ceaselessly to help us successfully navigate the many challenges our credit union has had to face over the last 26 years, and we are grateful to have had her at the helm. We wish her and her husband the best as they move into a new chapter of their lives. We also look forward to welcoming James, with full confidence in his ability to help us meet the challenges of growing Connects into the future.”

The credit union’s 20 employees run three locations and serve more than 9,000 members.