You have a large range of options if you're looking for SteveWinninger, who retired Dec. 31, 2011, after 20 years aspresident/CEO of $1.5 billion Lake Trust Credit Union inMichigan.

You might find him in the United Kingdom, Canada or somewhere inthe U.S. leading a session on governance. Or he might be playingbagpipes at the World War II Memorial in Washington. Then there'salways the possibility he's in his workshop restoring a British caror crafting a piece of furniture. Perhaps he's at a credit unionfilling in for a CEO, or teaching a class at Lansing CommunityCollege on becoming a better board member.

That may sound as though he's working full time. But Winningerpoints out that everything he's doing is part-time. Retirement, asfar as he's concerned, “is a gift from God.”

Winninger–who capped his career by helping guide the merger ofhis Lansing-based NuUnion Credit Union with Detroit Edison CreditUnion to create Lake Trust in 2010–seems to be an example of whatgerontologists stress about planning well ahead for yourretirement.

“I planned that retirement date probably about 18 yearsearlier,” he explained. “I knew that at age 65 I would have 19years of service, and it just didn't seem a round enough number. SoI went to 20 and retired at age 66.”

From a professional standpoint, he wanted to sharpen his skillsand understanding of good governance practices for boards. He wentto an academy on positive governance, and started to develop plansfor a consulting business, Steve Winninger and Associates.

“We had some great experience with an Irish credit union,” herecalled. “This year I have also worked as an interim CEO in acouple credit unions where the board faced an abrupt departure andwanted to cover the position until they could find newleadership.”

True to his plans, those jobs are part-time. They may start outa little more intense, but then they taper to perhaps three times aweek, leaving him time for other activities.

Winninger also started buying tools for his workshop outside hishome in Williamston, Mich, and had a 1962 Morris Mini waiting to berestored, a job he just finished. He teams up with some neighborswho have know-how he may lack, and they pitch in when he is gone onone of his interim assignments.

If all this sounds exceptionally farsighted, Winninger indicatedthe retired credit union CEOs he knows seem to have done a good jobof preparing for the day they'll clear out their desks and arrangedirect deposit for their Social Security and retirement income.

“A couple folks I know are just very happy not to work at all,”he said. “They are enjoying a life of leisure. My mantra has beeneverything I do is part-time, whether it be work or hobbies. Imanage to get in a lot of stuff without straining myself. I'veenjoyed the whole process.”

One of Winninger's other interests is playing the bagpipes. Hejust finished what he considers the pinnacle of his bagpipingexperience. He was invited to participate in a chartered HonorFlight that took 77 World War II veterans and 100 of their guestsfrom Grand Rapids to Washington, D.C., where they visited the WorldWar II memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

As a board member of the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight organization,Winninger helped plan the trip. He was at the Grand Rapids airportat 5:30 a.m. and arrived back in his Grand Rapids room at 11p.m.

He played the bagpipes at both airports coming and going, at theWWII memorial and Vietnam Memorial.

“I just played all day long,” Winninger said. “It was an amazingexperience. There was great news coverage from the local televisionstation. They sent a cameraman and a reporter along on the trip. Itwas a marvelous day for everybody.”

Winninger points out that in the two and a half years since heretired he's never wondered what to do. It's a question of what todo next.

“I'm absolutely enjoying it. I've had a chance to help smallcredit unions. I've learned a lot, too. I have fresh appreciationof all the hats many CEOs have to wear. I have new respect forthem.

“At one credit union I discovered there was a position thatneeded to be filled immediately. I asked who the HR officer was.They said, 'You are.'”

If you're thinking of retirement, Winninger suggests planningfor some kind of continuous activity.

Some people may figure they'll take a trip out west or toEurope. But that's pretty much a one-time event. You need to thinkabout something that is an ongoing activity. It may be serving on aboard, getting involved in a charitable organization, volunteeringin a local school, or immersing yourself in a hobby.

For example, Winninger loves woodworking, and his pre-retirementincome allowed him to buy what he considers some very nice tools hecan use for making furniture.

Certainly demands on his time vary from week to week, butoverall he pretty much gets involved in each of his interests everyweek.

“People acquire a lot of skills they learn in theirpre-retirement years they can use. In fact, I'm surprised I everfound time to work,” he quipped.