Gardner's successor will be Penny Pratt, who currently serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer for the $1 billion SAFE Federal Credit Union in Sumter.

In a statement, Isabelle noted that he and his wife will miss the friendships they have developed with  employees, the board, and the supervisory committee.

"They are an awesome group of individuals and I consider it an honor to have worked with all of them in growing the credit union and fulfilling our mission to our members," he said.

At Family Trust FCU, Gardner, who worked briefly in banking, joined the cooperative in 1979 when it was Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Co. Federal Credit Union.

During his tenure, the credit union changed its name to Family Trust FCU and secured a community charter. Under Gardner's leadership, the credit union grew in members, assets and branches.

Pratt will start her new job as president/CEO of Family Trust CEO in mid-January.

"We knew it would be difficult to find a new CEO of Lee Gardner's caliber," Brown Simpson Jr., Family Trust board chair, said. "With Penny, we found a leader who is as strong in strategic planning and operations as she is in employee development and member relations."

Pratt joined SAFE FCU in 2007 when she named senior vice president of lending and sales.

She previously worked as the national sales director for the former Xerox Federal Credit Union in Rochester, N.Y., which is now the $969 million Xceed Financial Federal  Credit Union in El Segundo, Calif., and she worked as a branch manager and officer for Rochester Community Savings Bank.