ECCU announces Julie Blitchok as credit union’s New Chief Executive Officer

The ECCU Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Ms. Julie Blitchok as the organization’s next President / Chief Executive Officer who will replace retiring CEO Charles D. Cornelius.

Julie has over 23 years of credit union experience at the executive level. For the last 13 years she has been with Lake Michigan Credit Union in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she served as Senior Vice President of Retail Operations. “I am very excited and honored to be joining ECCU as CEO. I look forward to building on its foundation of financial strength and exceptional member service, and leading ECCU to continued success and growth” states Blitchok.

In Julie’s current role, she oversees 37 branches, the Call Center, and Community Relations. During her tenure at LMCU, she was part of an executive team that planned and managed tremendous growth, increasing assets from $500 million to $3.6 billion, expanding the branch network from 13 to 37 locations, and increasing the number of members from 90,000 to 270,000. Prior to LMCU, Julie was the CEO at small and mid-size credit unions over a 10-year period.

ECCU Board Chairperson, David Aubry, states that her extensive retail expertise, combined with previous CEO experience, will help position ECCU to leverage its community charter. “Julie’s strong sense of corporate culture will build on our culture of service. Her vision of expanding retail services also fits perfectly with our strategic plan to boost the retail experience for members.”

ECCU selected Blitchok after an extensive national search. She will work with staff and ECCU’s collaborative approach to meet the needs of its membership. Blitchok earned her MBA from Grand Valley State and holds a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan.

“We’re thrilled to have Julie join our executive team and lead the credit union,” concludes Aubry. “With ECCU’s commitment to its members and a workplace that is both professional and caring, it is a win-win combination for our membership and staff.”

Julie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in economics from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Business Administration from Grand Valley State University.