Glenn Welch to Take Reins at Freedom Credit Union
SPRINGFIELD — The Freedom Credit Union board of directors recently elected Glenn Welch as the new president and CEO, effective Jan. 4. Welch will succeed Barry Crosby, who has served as president and CEO of the state-chartered credit union since 2003. This past summer, Crosby notified the board of his intent to retire in early 2016.
“After conducting an extensive search that identified several superbly qualified candidates, we have decided that Glenn Welch is our choice to lead Freedom,” said Lawrence Bouley, chairman of the board. “Throughout the process, it was extremely important to us that the new president could build on the strong foundation already in place at Freedom. And to that point, we are grateful for the leadership that Barry Crosby has provided over the past 12 years.”
Upon learning of his appointment, Welch said, “I am grateful to serve as Freedom’s new president and to continue the organization’s 93-year tradition of serving the members, families, businesses, and communities of the Pioneer Valley. Also, I want to thank the board of directors for their confidence in me and their support.”
Added Crosby, “I am proud of my tenure at Freedom and enjoyed working with the board of directors, officers, and staff. During this time, the credit union grew from one branch into a network of 10 branches throughout the Pioneer Valley and an Operations Center in Springfield. Under Glenn’s leadership, I am confident that Freedom will continue that growth and our membership will value his knowledge and expertise.”
Most recently, Welch was executive vice president of Berkshire Bank following its acquisition of Hampden Bank. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of Hampden Bank for two years before the Berkshire Bank acquisition. During his 17-year tenure at Hampden, he held various positions, including president and COO, executive vice president, and senior vice president of Business Banking. Before joining Hampden, he served as vice president, Middle Market Banking Group at Fleet Bank.
