After 25 years at the helm, First Credit Union president and chief executive officer Dave Craigen will retire in February.
Born and raised in Powell River, Craigen made the move back after completing his education and starting a career in the Lower Mainland. He returned with his wife Shelley, who is also originally from town.
“I left in 1980 to go build another life and a career, and realized I wanted to come back,” said Craigen. “Shelley and I returned in 1993 with three kids under five years old.”
Craigen said the financial climate was far from certain when he took over at First Credit Union. Building the resilience of the organization is one of his proudest achievements, he added.
“When I came it was in a pretty tenuous spot; the system was changing, the financial world was changing,” said Craigen. “The board entrusted me to diversify and make better financial security for the organization, and that’s what I did.”
Deciding to open locations outside Powell River was key to the group’s success, said Craigen.
“One of the cool things that happened in the mid-2000s was we actually diversified outside our own community for the well-being of our community,” he said.
The institution now includes nine credit unions and insurance branches in six communities with more than 10,000 members and 40,000 insurance customers.
Staying independent is also a source of pride for Craigen.
“When I started there were 118 credit unions in the province and there’s now 42,” he said. “I always joke that we were the first and we’ll be the last.”
Originally called Powell River Credit Union, First Credit Union was incorporated in 1939 and is the longest running credit union in BC.
“Through all the mergers and acquisitions, we’ve remained independent,” said vice president of communications Sandra McDowell. “Dave has had a lot of innovative ideas to help us be here and be thriving.”
Craigen’s involvement in the community has been personal and professional.
“Probably the neatest part of this job is I get to go to work every day and try to make our community and our people better,” he said. “This has ranged from saving a junior hockey team to helping out at events like Kathaumixw.”
Personally, Craigen served on an economic development task force for many years and has been a driving force for Myrtle Point Golf Club, the local non-profit golf course. He was also instrumental in the retrofit of the old Max Cameron school gym into a non-profit gymnastics club.
“My kids were involved in minor hockey and baseball, then my daughter became a competitive gymnast,” said Craigen. “I helped establish getting them the gymnastics centre with other community-inspired people. Every time I drive by that place I smile.”
Craigen said his plans for retirement include spending lots of time with his family, trips to Powell Lake and enjoying everything about Powell River that brought him back.
