Heyward Named First Financial CU's New President/CEO

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -Ben Heyward Jr., a 26-year veteran of the credit union movement, has been named president/CEO of First Financial Credit Union. He succeeds Jeff McDaniel who retired June 30 after serving as president/CEO of First Financial for nearly two decades. Heyward comes to First Financial from $1.1 billion California CU, Glendale, Calif. where he worked as executive vice president, chief operations officer and chief lending officer. Before that he worked with Point Loma CU, Auburn University FCU, and Americas First FCU. First Financial CU Chairman Cassie Kelley said Heyward’s “broad range of knowledge about the issues facing large credit unions will be invaluable to our operation and help us carry forward Jeff’s work as we continue to grow and expand to serve our membership.” First Financial CU was chartered in 1937 to serve employees of the telephone company of New Mexico. It currently includes more than 200 sponsor groups throughout New Mexico in its field of membership. First Financial CU has nearly 44,000 members and almost $288 million in assets.