Thomas Johnson to Replace Stephen Dhalstrom at Spokane Teachers CU Helm

After 30 years at STCU, including 20 years as its president and CEO, Steven L. Dahlstrom will retire at the end of the year.

His replacement is Thomas A. Johnson, who has been STCU’s vice president of administration since 2006 and was an STCU board member for 12 previous years.On Monday, the STCU Board of Directors approved a succession plan promoting Johnson to executive vice president starting May 24. He’ll become president and CEO on January 1, 2011 – the fourth president in STCU’s 76-year history.Johnson served as a vice president at Whitworth University from 1989 through 2006. He was part of the selection committee that recommended Bill Robinson as Whitworth’s president in 1993, a move that helped Whitworth earn a reputation as one of the nation’s outstanding private universities.“Tom is well-known and highly respected,” said Georgia Miller, STCU board chair. “He exemplifies the commitment to community that STCU stands for.”

Our new CEO

Like our founders and many of our board members, Tom Johnson has a background in education. Prior to his years at Whitworth, he was business manager of Cheyenne Mountain Schools in Colorado Springs, Colo., from 1987 to 1989.In 2008, Gov. Chris Gregoire appointed Johnson to the Washington Higher Education Facilities Authority, which helps private colleges obtain tax-exempt bonds for financing building projects. He also serves on the Spokane Public Schools Diversity Advisory Committee.Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in business and industrial administration from the University of Illinois in Urbana, and a master’s of business administration from Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY.Johnson’s wife, Ruth Ann, teaches English at Saint George’s School in Spokane. The couple have three grown sons, two daughters-in-law and a granddaughter.Johnson noted that under Dahlstrom’s leadership, STCU has launched several ambitious technological projects that will improve our ability to meet members’ changing needs, both online and in our branches.“STCU will continue to innovate, while never losing sight of the importance of one-on-one relationships,” Johnson said. “Steve managed to strike a balance between the two, and we will continue in that tradition.“We’ll always be the credit union people know and love.”

The Dahlstrom era at STCU

Spokane Teachers Credit Union had one branch when Steve Dahlstrom arrived as assistant manager in April 1980 and two branches when the board appointed him president and CEO in January 1991.Dahlstrom has led STCU through a period of tremendous growth, seeing it become the third-largest credit union in Washington and the 101st largest nationwide. STCU now has 11 branches in Washington and three in Idaho, plus a website that’s busier than any branch.STCU has continued to grow through the recession, with membership increasing 11 percent in 2009 alone. For the fifth consecutive year, readers of the Inlander newspaper recently voted STCU the region’s “best bank/credit union.”Dahlstrom plans to continue his work to strengthen the community, as a board member for Greater Spokane Incorporated, among other activities. However, term limits will require him to step down this year from the Museum of Arts and Culture board of directors, and as chairman of the Eastern Washington University Foundation.“For 30 years, it’s been my pleasure to serve STCU and our members. We’ve built a team that enjoys working together and takes great pride in meeting needs,” Dahlstrom said. “It’s bitter-sweet to leave. Yet, I know the credit union will continue to thrive with Tom.”

Spokane Teachers Credit Union Founded by educators in 1934, Spokane Teachers Credit Union is a member-owned, non-profit cooperative that delivers financial products and services, such as shared branching, on-line banking, and ATMs worldwide. Through innovation, attractive rates, and personalized service, STCU is committed to maximize members’ financial health and security.