Doing the Hard Stuff: When It Comes Time for the Board & CEO to Part Ways

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The board of directors isn’t always readily thought of as impacting positive credit union workplace culture. Frankly, that is the responsibility of the CEO and his or her team. But if the day has come when the board must make that hardest of decisions and change the leader, culture is a critical consideration. Parting ways. Separation. Resignation. Termination. However you couch it, if this time comes then the board has a massive responsibility.

First, a quick introduction. On the personal front, I am retired from three decades as a State Trooper. I now serve as a vice president in a large long-term care community just recovering from a pandemic. So, fairly, I’ve had to do hard stuff more frequently than some. I’ve been a long-time board member, over 15 years, with a credit union that is approximately $250 million in assets in the Midwest. In the last 40 years, our credit union has had four CEOs. The first consumed 32 of those years.