Challenges don’t scare Joe Gimble, CEO of $39 million asset Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) City Employees Federal Credit Union.

When Gimble took over as CEO (or “Chief Everything Officer,” as he calls it), he faced a difficult and stressful situation.

“The credit union was in the middle of a fraudulent loan scandal that was splattered all over the newspapers,” recalls Gimble. “The sheer task of changing the image of the credit union was hard enough. We also had to go through all loan and account folders, change or alter all policies and procedures, and pretty much rebuild the credit union from the ground up.”

But as they say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” and with the help of his team, Gimble managed to turn things around.

The credit union increased loan volume, reduced charge-off s and allowances for loan and lease losses, and curtailed delinquencies. The institution also adopted risk-based lending, a new core processing system, a new debit card system, and mobile technologies.

continue reading »