RADCLIFF, Ky. — Longtime Fort Knox FCU CEO William J. Rissell has announced that he will retire from on July 1.
Rissel has spent the past 23 years as CEO of the $1.2 billion credit union and will be succeeded by Ray Springsteen, Fort Knox FCU's current EVP. Springsteen's ascension is the culmination of a five-year transition implemented by the credit union's board of directors.
"This process assures a seamless change to new leadership while maintaining the same high standards of quality member service, value of products and strength of the organization that we have enjoyed for many years. Ray will continue the same strategies for creating member value," Jo Exler, Fort Knox FCU's board chairman said in a statement, adding that the CU is poised for further growth under Springsteen's leadership.
Springsteen came to FKFCU in 1993, and was appointed to SVP in 2009 before being named EVP in 2012. Prior to joining Fort Knox, he spent a decade at Callahan & Associates, a national consulting service for CUs, and served on the senior leadership team for six years at Service CU in New Hampshire.
The outgoing Rissel spoke highly of his successor.
"I have been working with the board for over four years on a comprehensive transition plan," he said in a statement. "I personally selected Ray Springsteen as the senior vice president with thoughts that someday he would ultimately take my place. The board has chosen for that to be the case." He added that he has tried to build a family environment at the credit union, and the board's selection of Springsteen means that legacy will continue.
During Rissel's time at Fort Knox FCU, assets have grown tenfold, and the CU has nearly quadrupled its branch network from four to 15, now serving all of central Kentucky.
