GFA FCU names Mark Hettinger President/Chief Executive Officer
GARDNER, MA (March 1, 2023) — GFA Federal Credit Union ($649M, Gardner, MA) has selected Mark Hettinger to serve as president/chief executive officer. Hettinger has served as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for First Alliance Credit Union since 2004 and will join GFA FCU in early April. He was placed by DDJ Myers, the well-known leadership development firm. “Deedee and her amazing team delivered at an extremely high level,” says Hettinger. “They took great care of me as a CEO candidate and set me up for success by making the process easy and allowing me to focus on getting to know GFA FCU.”
“The GFA Board of Directors was thrilled to find a candidate the caliber of Mark Hettinger during our nationwide search,” says Doug Delay, GFA FCU’s Board Chair. “Mark will bring experience, professionalism, and leadership to our members and the communities we serve.”
In addition to Hettinger’s extensive experience as EVP/COO at First Alliance Credit Union where he was a respected proponent of empowerment and accountability, he previously served as Vice President Member Services for Think Federal Credit Union. His professional experiences have also included serving as a Branch Manager and a Lending Officer, giving Hettinger a members-first perspective.
“GFA FCU has an 85-year history of strong growth and high-quality member service, along with an intelligent and dedicated Board of Directors,” says Hettinger. “I look forward to enhancing the credit union’s strong employee culture and providing innovative, world-class service to meet all members’ financial needs – whether they joined us yesterday, today or will join us tomorrow.”
Hettinger obtained his Bachelor of Applied Science, Business Administration and Human Resources Management degree from Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota. He has continued his professional development by attending the CUES CEO Institute and completing executive education programs at Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, University of Virginia’s Darden School, CUNA Management School, and the American Institute of Banking.
About GFA Federal Credit Union
GFA Federal Credit Union was created in 1938 by 20 founding fathers who pooled together $755.00. Today, this full-service credit union is headquartered in Gardner and has ten branches, seven in Massachusetts and three in New Hampshire. With a robust electronic banking platform and strong member acceptance, GFA has an even broader reach. The credit union has a strong capital position and over $649 million in assets, with approximately 31,000 members and a multiple common bond field of membership. Additionally, GFA has two wholly owned subsidiaries, one for insurance sales and the other serving the legal, licensed cannabis industry, along with a strong commercial lending program. Backed by a cohesive Board of Directors and Supervisory Committee, GFA FCU lives up to its mission statement of earning the trusted position as its members’ financial solutions partner, for all life’s occasions, while remaining invested in the community. For more information, visit https://www.gfafcu.com.
About DDJ Myers, An ALM First Company
DDJ Myers specializes in leadership success through executive recruitment, strategic organization, and board development for financial institutions. In addition, they offer a broad range of online assessments to help companies optimize their greatest assets – their people. DDJ Myers joined forces with ALM First, a strategic partner that offers depositories an array of financial advisory services, in 2022 to provide expanded educational opportunities and solutions to help clients optimize both people and financial performance. Learn more at www.ddjmyers.com or visit our parent company www.almfirst.com.
