Ascent Credit Union moves ahead with succession plan

Vickie van der Have, president and CEO of Ascent Credit Union in Ogden, Utah, has announced her plans to retire on July 1.

She will be succeeded by Brock Mortensen, currently the credit union’s executive vice president, according to a press release on Monday.

Van der Have spent 43 years in the credit union movement, including the last 17 as chief executive at Ascent, which until recently was known as Weber State Federal Credit Union. During her time as CEO, van der Have helped the credit union grow from $53 million in assets to more than $133 million while also increasing the CU’s presence in several different communities it serves, including Weber, Davis, Morgan and Box Elder.

“Vickie has been a tremendous leader for our credit union and has had a powerful influence on the financial services industry in our area. We are grateful for all she has done for the credit union and our community,” Chuck Ulrich, chairman of Ascent, said in a release.

Van der Have’s retirement was officially announced on Monday but she reportedly informed the credit union’s board of her plans more than a year ago in order to ensure a smooth transition.

Ascent posted a net income of just over $85,000 during the first quarter, a drop of more than 45% from what it earned during the same period last year, according to call report data from the National Credit Union Administration. Many credit unions — particularly small and mid-size institutions — reported reduced first-quarter earnings this year due to the coronavirus.