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Community Financial Credit Union announces retirement of President and CEO

PLYMOUTH, MI (December 20, 2021) — After 40 years with Community Financial Credit Union, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) William “Bill” Lawton has announced his plans to retire in July, 2022.

“It is difficult to convey how grateful I am for your support during my tenure as the CEO of Community Financial,” Lawton expressed in a heartfelt email to his fellow team members. “Together, we have changed lives for the better and made our communities even more vibrant places to work and live.”

Lawton’s career began with the credit union in 1982. At the time, his father, George Lawton, served as general manager of Community Financial and Lawton wanted nothing more than to follow in his father’s footsteps. When Lawton moved from I.T. to CEO, he put his thoughts into action and became a staple of the Plymouth and credit union communities working hard to provide the best products and services for Community Financial’s membership.

Lawton has served on numerous committees and boards during his time at the credit union, in order to better his community through various channels. These organizations included Growth Works, the Detroit Cristo Rey Board, City of Plymouth Board of Canvassers, as well as the United Way, the Plymouth Community Arts Council, ARTSCO Foundation, Credit Union Solutions Group, Kiwanis, and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce.

“I have enjoyed no greater satisfaction in serving my credit union members than in serving during Bill Lawton’s leadership,” expressed Dan Herriman, Community Financial board member. “It’s been inspiring to witness Bill’s passion and knowledge. He has served in many leadership roles on boards and would blush if he knew how much he is revered as a thoughtful and compassionate leader. Thank you, Bill Lawton, for everything you did for Community Financial and its membership.”

“I am looking forward to the personal time I will gain in retirement, knowing that I will miss the work and the people that mean so much to me,” Lawton expressed. “However, I am confident that our credit union’s best years are still yet to come.”

Under Lawton’s leadership, Community Financial has grown from $300 million in assets in 2004 to over $1.2 billion in assets today. The board has retained Humanidei + O’Rourke to lead the search for their next CEO. Humanidei was founded in July 2019 to help credit unions win the war for talent by creating more inclusive cultures where all humans can bring their best selves to work. www.humanidei.com.


About Community Financial Credit Union

The relationship with members is everything because Community Financial Credit Union is always looking out, standing beside members in every season of life. Community Financial is a full-service financial institution headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan since 1951 with 15 branches in Southeast and Northern Michigan and $1.6 billion in assets. Membership is open to any person or any business in the state of Michigan. Community Financial is deeply rooted in the communities it serves, offering programs and partnerships like student-run credit unions, an obstacle-free path to homeownership, and more. To learn more about Community Financial and why on earth there’s a bear on the logo, visit cfcu.org.

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Lauren Detwiler
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VVK PR + Creative
Phone: 248-884-1421
Email: lauren@vvkagency.com

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