Head of 717 Credit Union to Retire; New President, CEO Named

WARREN, Ohio – John Demmler will become the new president and CEO of 717 Credit Union on Nov. 1.

Demmler will replace Gary Soukenik, who is retiring after 46 years at the helm of the credit union.

Demmler, an Ohio native, began his career in the financial service industry nearly 25 years ago. He will return to Ohio from Austin, Texas, where he has served as the chief lending officer and senior vice president of corporate strategy at A+ Federal Credit Union.

“I look forward to my return to Ohio. 717 is such a strong credit union with a long, proud history,” Demmler said. “I am excited to work with the staff and board of 717 to continue building on a legacy of people helping people with a focus on financial inclusion and economic development.”

Under Soukenik, the credit union grew from $39 million in assets to $1.6 billion. Serving more than 110,000 members across a six-county area of northeastern Ohio, 717 has earned a number of awards and recognitions.

“Our primary goal was to continue building on the incredible success that has been Gary Soukenik’s legacy,” said Paul Marshall, chairman of the 717 Credit Union Board of Directors. “That meant conducting a nationwide search to ensure that we found someone that would support a mission and culture built on mutual respect and that would be committed to our members, our staff and the communities we serve. We found that in John Demmler.”

Soukenik will stay on in an advisory role for several weeks to assist with the transition.

“I have been honored to serve the members of 717 for 46 years,” Soukenik said. “I would not want to leave without knowing that our members and staff were in good hands. John will work well with the rest of our leadership team to ensure that our service to our members and our commitment to the communities we serve is second to none.”

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.