SALT LAKE CITY – The board of Mountain America CU yesterday announced it has promoted Sterling Nielson to succeed Gordon Dames as president and CEO of the $2.8 billion credit union.
Dames, who has headed the state’s second-largest credit union for 16 years, is retiring Dec. 31. He built the credit union from $280 million in assets and 13 branches to a projected $3 billion by year-end and 60 branches in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada.
Nielson has been executive vice president, chief administrative officer of Mountain America prior to this appointment. He joined Mountain America in 1995.
Before joining Mountain America, Dames was president of San Diego County CU from 1983 to 1991. He was a principal examiner for the NCUA for 12 years before that.
