Kevin Morris (left) and Bill Connor. (Credit/AmFirst)
The Board of Directors for the $2.5 billion, Birmingham, Ala.-based America's First Federal Credit Union (AmFirst) announced plans for a major leadership transition: President/CEO Bill Connor will retire on March 1, 2025, passing the torch to Kevin Morris, who has served as SVP and chief retail officer for AmFirst since 2018.
Connor's retirement will follow 44 years of service to AmFirst. He first joined the credit union in 1980, which at the time was known as Iron and Steel Credit Union, as a staff auditor. He held numerous leadership roles throughout his tenure and was eventually appointed president/CEO in March 2011.
"I have been incredibly blessed to serve this organization and to work alongside some immensely talented and dedicated individuals," Connor stated. "It has been a tremendous honor to have been entrusted by our Board of Directors to lead AmFirst as its president and CEO. I am proud of the culture we have collectively built, our work to serve our members and our impact on our communities. AmFirst is a strong and vibrant organization and will continue to thrive under the leadership of Kevin Morris."
Ross Mitchell, chairman of the Board of Directors, added, "On behalf of the Board and the members of AmFirst, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Bill Connor for his extraordinary leadership and dedication. It is rare these days to see someone who has dedicated his entire professional career to one organization, and we are extremely grateful for his commitment to our credit union, our members and staff, and the communities we serve."
AmFirst said the leadership transition process officially began on Thursday, Aug. 1, when Morris assumed the title of EVP and second executive officer.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Morris joined AmFirst in 2013 as vice president – consumer lending. He then advanced to SVP – lending services in 2015, SVP and chief lending officer in 2017, and finally SVP and chief retail officer in 2018.
"Our culture is the heartbeat of our identity, reflecting our values, beliefs and principles. I am humbled and grateful for the trust the Board of Directors placed in me to serve as that culture's custodian," Morris stated. "It has been a distinct honor to have served under Bill Connor's leadership. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to build upon his legacy and the rich history of this organization. I am thankful to work alongside an amazing team to continue this tradition of servant leadership. Together, we will remain steadfast in investing in our people, serving our membership and positively impacting our communities."
Mitchell added, "Kevin's depth of experience and his passion for our credit union, its members and our staff make him ideally suited to lead our credit union into the future."
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
