Longtime CEO of Upward Credit Union in California to retire

Linda White, president and chief executive of Upward Credit Union in Burlingame, California, is retiring.

The $100 million-asset credit union announced that White, who has led the credit union for more than 24 years, will leave the role Sept. 1. Jason Mertz-Pickett, who according to his LinkedIn profile has been vice president of operations since joining the credit union in 2016, was named White’s successor by the board of directors.

“Over the past 37 years, longer than some of our employees have been alive, I have shepherded Upward Credit Union from $3 million in assets — from being in a damp, leaky office space in a medical building — to the thriving $100 million boutique credit union it is today,” White said in a press release Thursday.

White has also worked on committees with the California Credit Union League, Credit Union National Association, CUNA Mutual and other organizations. White is a founding member of the Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance, which was launched in December 2020 to offer women CEOs of institutions with $300 million of assets or less a forum for sharing best practices and policies.

“Under Linda’s direction, we have cultivated such a talented and dedicated team that connects, engages and helps our members. … My promise is that we will continue to put our members first, work as a team and be an advocate for change,” Mertz-Pickett said in the release.