Salal Credit Union announces new CEO. * john stearns * 5 hrs ago. Salal Credit Union has named its next president and CEO, who will take over effective Jan. 1. Kevin Skinner was selected by the credit union's board of directors after a national search conducted in partnership with Smith & Wilkinson, the credit union announced today in a news release. Current CEO Russ Rosendal is retiring at year end after nearly 17 years with the credit union. Skinner will join Salal Dec. 1 to begin the leadership transition. Salal, based in Seattle, has branches in Bellevue and Tukwila, plus two in Seattle. As of June 30, it reported total assets approaching $1.2 billion, almost 61,000 members, and 227 full-time employees, according to the National Credit Union Administration. Skinner joins Salal from Washington State Employees Credit Union, where he served as vice president of retail lending, overseeing consumer- and residential-lending production, operations, credit risk, and product development. He has more than 25 years of experience in financial services, including leadership roles at Umpqua and HomeStreet banks, USAA, and Washington Mutual. At Umpqua, Skinner led the home-lending division, managing nearly 700 employees across a $7 billion annual business, a $5-billion portfolio of permanent and construction loans, and a $15-billion servicing operation. His career also has included strong advocacy for affordable housing and member-focused innovation, including service on the Freddie Mac Regional Lender Advisory Board, the Mortgage Bankers Association Secondary and Capital Markets Committee, and the ABA Mortgage Markets and Lending Technology Committee. He currently serves as treasurer of the board of delegates for Homestead Community Land Trust, which creates permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for low- to moderate-income households in King and Pierce counties, Salal's release said. "Kevin brings extensive experience leading large, complex financial organizations while maintaining a strong commitment to the cooperative values that define our credit union," Brian Luong, chair of Salal's board of directors, said in a statement. "His ability to build high-performing teams, drive innovation, and lead with purpose gives us great confidence in his capacity to build on Russ's legacy and guide Salal into its next era of growth and service." Skinner said he was honored to join the organization. "Salal's vision for sustainable growth, innovation, and expanding access to financial wellness aligns perfectly with my own values and experience," he said in the release. "I look forward to building on that success and continuing to expand the ways we serve our members and communities." Founded in 1948, Salal's name comes from the Salal plant, which the credit union's website said "is a tenacious and adaptable evergreen that thrives in challenging conditions" and has long been used by the Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest for nourishment and healing.

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