EL PASO, Texas— GECU President and CEO Crystal Long has announced she will retire at the end of April after 15 years leading the credit union, saying the timing is right to position the institution for its “next chapter” and adding that a new leader will be named soon, according to a message posted on the credit union’s website.
Long said leading GECU “has been one of the greatest honors” of her professional life and thanked employees, the board and members for their support, while expressing confidence the organization will continue to thrive under new leadership. No successor was identified in the message, but Long said, “Our new leader will be announced soon.”
In her statement, Long highlighted that GECU has grown during her tenure into what it described as El Paso’s largest independently owned financial institution, with more than $4.5 billion in assets and more than 441,000 member-owners. She also pointed to the credit union’s expansion in Texas and Las Cruces, N.M., as well as its pending acquisition of Roswell, N.M.-based Bank of the Southwest.
Long also cited GECU’s community investments, including support for the GECU Women’s Health Wing at the new Texas Tech Health El Paso Fox Cancer Center, the UTEP Banking Academy and the Rio Grande Flight honoring veterans, saying the credit union’s legacy of service will continue after her departure.