President/CEO Pam West,credited with growing the $41 million Vital Federal Credit Unionfrom a small cooperative to a countywide financial institution inSouth Carolina, will retire March 31.

She will be replaced by Omero DeLorenzo, who served as VitalFCU's chief financial officer and chief operating officer for 10years, the credit union said in a prepared statement. Tim Dill, theformer vice president of branch operations, will become the newchief operating officer.

“When Pat West took the job of our CEO of our credit union, ithad been a mom and pop operation for all of its 27 years,” Dr.Joseph Walton, Vital FCU's board chair, said. “It was housed inseveral rooms provided at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Ourcredit union has been transformed into a successful and respectedfinancial institution with a community charter, a main office inSpartanburg, and a branch office in Duncan.”

West took the helm in 1991 of Spartanburg Regional FCU. Therewere only 2,500 members and just $2.5 million in assets. Sincethen, membership has nearly tripled to more than 7,000 and assetshave increased to $40.5 million.

West also guided the transition of the cooperative fromSpartanburg Regional FCU to Vital FCU in March 2014.

She began her career as a part-time employee at the City ofGreenville FCU in 1973. Later, West was appointed president/CEO ofTexize Employees FCU where she served until her appointment atSpartanburg Regional FCU. West was one of the first credit unionCEOs in South Carolina to complete the Certified Credit UnionExecutive program.