Agnes to retire as Elevations Credit Union president, CEO

BOULDER — Gerry Agnes, who has led Elevations Credit Union for 17 years, will retire as president and CEO on Feb. 28, the organization announced Monday.

According to a news release, the credit union’s board of directors “has initiated a comprehensive succession plan to ensure a smooth leadership transition and a continuation of excellent service for members.”

Honored as one of BizWest’s top 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in 2023, Agnes took the reins at Elevations during the financial crisis of 2008 and built it into the top credit union mortgage lender by residential volume for four years. In 2010, he helped establish the Elevations Foundation, now the Local Change Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has distributed more than $4 million in community resources since it was established.

“Gerry transformed our organization through his leadership and built a lasting legacy with his deep dedication to our members and the Colorado community,” Ray Martinez, who chairs Elevation’s board, said in a prepared statement. “We thank him for his outstanding service and look forward to continuing to build on the strong foundation he established.”

Under Agnes’ leadership, the credit union became Colorado’s first two-time recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, issued in 2014 and 2020. Agnes was honored in 2016 as the Mountain West Credit Union Association’s Credit Union Professional of the Year and the Boulder Chamber’s Businessperson of the Year.

“It has been the honor of my career to serve Elevations and our members,” Agnes said in a prepared statement. “Together, we’ve built something truly special — a credit union rooted in community and committed to excellence. Thank you for trusting us with your financial goals and for being part of this incredible journey.”

Elevations was founded in 1952 as the U. of C. Federal Credit Union to serve the staff of the University of Colorado Boulder and grew from 12 members and less than $100 in assets to more than 179,000 members, more than 550 local employees and approximately $3.5 billion in assets with branches throughout the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado.

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