Longtime Nelson and District Credit Union employee Tom Murray has been named the organization's new CEO, effectively immediately. Murray replaces Doug Stoddart, who has retired after 24 years with the credit union.
"Tom has been a valued staff member for 11 years and an active community volunteer," said a news release issued by the credit union. "He is highly respected by his peers and colleagues. He competed for the CEO position with over 20 highly qualified applicants from across Canada.
"No one understands our community and its needs better than long-time community members, and no one understands Nelson and District Credit Union better than longtime employees."
Murray has an economics degree from Stanford University and an MBA in finance and environmental management from the University of Washington. Before joining the credit union, he worked as a private business consultant and as regional loans manner for Community Futures in Nelson.
"I am very excited for this opportunity, and I look forward to stewarding our credit union's continued success," Murray said in the news release. "I'm passionate about credit unions and co-operatives, as their values are increasingly important in building resiliency and sustainability in our rural areas.
“I've had the honour and pleasure of serving our members for over 11 years, and I look forward to continuing that work in the communities we serve. I will work with the board, management and staff to continue to build an organization that clearly values co-operation and community.”
Newly-elected credit union board chair Andy Chute said the search for the new CEO was "extensive."
"Our search committee received a wealth of applications and was very pleased with the high calibre of talent that the posting attracted. We were looking for a CEO who can meet some of our key goals and continue to build on our ability to support our members and the communities that we serve.
“Tom brings an incredible level of knowledge of credit union operations, much thanks to Doug Stoddart’s influence and a strong passion for our communities and a leadership style based on teamwork and co-operation. These characteristics will be essential in meeting our goals. We are excited to have him as the new CEO.”
In addition to his work with the credit union, Murray is an experienced backcountry ski guide and works seasonally for Selkirk Snowcat Skiing. He lives in Nelson with his wife Bronwyn and their children.