Southland Credit Union announced the appointment of Deena Otto as its next president/CEO, effective Dec. 8, 2025, succeeding Tom Lent, who will retire in early January after 18 years of leadership.
Otto joins Southland from Stanford Federal Credit Union, where she served as SVP and COO, overseeing retail banking, marketing, and business development for the $4.3 billion Palo Alto-based institution. Prior to that, she held senior roles at Wescom Financial, where she helped grow assets from $3 billion to $5 billion, launched major digital initiatives and developed a flagship partnership with UCLA.
“Deena brings a proven track record of strategic leadership, innovation and deep commitment to member experience,” Southland Board Chair Thomas Willingham said. “Her energy and operational expertise make her uniquely suited to guide Southland into its next chapter of growth.”
Otto’s background includes early leadership experience at Nike and at Credit Union of Southern California, where she focused on community outreach and SEG-based growth strategies. She holds an MBA from Washington State University.
“It’s an honor to join Southland Credit Union and build upon its remarkable legacy of member service and community impact,” Otto said.
Southland Credit Union, headquartered in Los Alamitos, serves more than 70,000 members across Orange and Los Angeles counties with $1.3 billion in assets.
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