Gail Freer — who has helped oversee solid growth at the Manteca-based Golden Valley Credit Union for 28 years —  has retired as the chief executive officer.

During her 43 years with the credit union it has grown form a small office at Sharpe Depot to a community institution with membership open to anyone who resides, works, or worships within either the Manteca Unified or Ripon Unified school districts.

Board President Roger La Presle announced the board elevated executive vice president Joann Wenk to the CEO position effective March 1.  Freer will continue to work at the credit union for the next  several years on a  part-time basis.

Freer graduated from East Union in the spring of 1975 and just two months later on Aug. 7, 1975 she started work at the Sharpe Depot Credit Union as a clerk.  A year later the assistant manager left and Freer was promoted to that position.  Ten years after that she was named as manager.

In 1991 the Credit Union was restructured and Freer became the CEO and JoDean Hart was hired as the Executive Vice President.  The two oversaw  growth and relocation of what is now known as Golden Valley Federal Credit Union going from $7 million in assets to $10 million by 1993 and took over the Spreckels Credit Union.  In 1998 Golden Valley was granted a new charter to become a community credit union  with larger boundaries outside the depot.  In Oct 2001 they opened their current location on Center Street with a base of $29 million.  

 Wenk started her credit union career in December 1981 as a file clerk at Western Hospitals Federal Credit Union in Concord.  She held the positions of teller, Operations Manager and, finally, Controller.  The credit union had grown from $3 million to $16 million during that time period.

From there Wenk went to Antioch Federal Credit Union as the Operation Manager for two years.  After that she went to Southern California and worked at the Telesis Community Credit Union, a $300 million credit union in San Fernando Valley.  She was first an Operations Supervisor, then Operations Manager during her seven year tenure.

In 2008 Joann moved to Charlottesville, VA.,  and worked for a postal credit union first as an MSR, then Assistant Manager, then CEO.  She was there for seven years.

She came back to California and worked at Mid Cities Credit Union  as a consultant. They soon hired her as Operations Manager.  

In May 2017 Joann joined Golden Valley as the executive vice president.

Golden Valley Credit Union’s other board members are Carolyn Richardson, Mary Duff, Cliff Jorgenson, Howard Holtsmann, Michael Edward, and Connie Jones.