WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Allegacy FCU said this morning that W.K. “Ike” Keener has retired as CEO and will be succeeded as head of the $1 billion credit union by Cathy Pace, its credit union division president who has worked at the credit union for 34 years.
Pace will assume the duties of CEO of the one-time Reynolds Carolina credit union on May 1, and Keener’s title will become executive advisor. In that new role he will serve as an advisor during the transition period of the new CEO, consult with the board and executive management team on strategic planning and regulatory compliance and assist with board development, governance and succession planning.
Keener has more than 40 years’ experience in the financial industry and spent his last 16 years as CEO and has built Allegacy to serve almost 120,000 members at 17 financial centers.
Keener was instrumental in the creation of the first high school student run credit union in North Carolina in 2008, the first local corporate park dedicated to breast and ovarian cancer survivors and most recently, the 2012 opening of the Center for Smart Financial Choices, a non-profit entity to assist consumers with the skills necessary to more effectively manage their money, credit, debt and financial planning.
