Former banker takes the helm at Wyrope Williamsport FCU

Brittany Baker has been named the next president and CEO of Wyrope Williamsport Federal Credit Union.

The Williamsport, Pa.-based institution made the announcement on its website. Baker succeeds Barbara Vitolo who is retiring after 24 years at the $36 million-asset credit union.

WWFCU noted that Baker comes to the credit union movement “after many years at a local bank.” A number of credit union CEOs have joined the fold in the last decade after serving on the banking side – among them Greg Mitchell, president and CEO of First Tech FCU, who spent more than a decade as chief executive of a bank.

Baker joins the credit union industry at a time when the movement is making strides to increase diversity among its ranks. While credit union membership has diversified, many institutions have not followed suit. And while CUs outpace banks in terms of placing women in leadership roles, the vast majority of female CEOs are at smaller institutions like Wyrope Williamsport FCU.

According to NCUA call report data, WWFCU posted net income of about $89,000 in the first quarter of 2019, almost double the figure from the same period in 2018. Over that period, total non-interest income jumped from $90,000 to more than $113,000.