The Valley First Credit Union, a division of First West Credit Union, has a new president.
Simon Mills will now head up the personal, business and commercial banking teams for Valley First in the southwest Interior.
Mills, who makes his home in Kelowna, previously led Valley First’s commercial banking business across the Thompson-Okanagan.
He joined Valley First in 2019 as Director of Commercial Banking, following 16 years in business and commercial banking, business development and building strategic relationships in Canada and the United Kingdom.
He’s currently a member of the Canadian Credit Union Association’s Farm Credit Canada – Credit Union Liaison Committee, which is focused on building relationships between credit unions and the agricultural sector across Canada.
Mills is active in Valley First’s signature cause, Feed the Valley, and is dedicated to strengthening the credit union system in B.C. He is also a former board director for the Central Okanagan Rugby Enthusiasts.
“It’s an absolute privilege to have the opportunity of leading an organization that’s instinctively community-minded,” said Mills. “The support that Valley First provided for its employees and communities impacted by the fire is a good reminder of just how important Valley First and cooperative financial institutions are to our province and the country, especially in times of crisis.”
Valley First’s previous president, Paulo Araujo, will continue to be a familiar face at the credit union and in the South Okanagan community after his promotion to senior vice-president of operations and advisory experience for First West.
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