Longtime head of credit union to retire

LAKELAND — Kevin Jones, CEO of Lakeland-based MidFlorida Credit Union since 1992, has announced his retirement, effective March 1, 2022. According to a news release, he will be succeeded by MidFlorida President Steve Mosely, who joined the organization in 1997 and has also served as CFO and executive president of its financial services division.

Jones, the release states, recently turned 65, so the time was right for a leadership change. He has overseen extraordinary growth at MidFlorida, guiding it from $100 million to nearly $6 billion in total assets, 60 full-service branches, 1,000-plus employees and more than 408,000 members during his tenure.

“Jones’ strategic exit has been in the planning stages for a while,” states Shirley Pellarchy, chairwoman of MidFlorida board of directors, in the release. “When an institution grows to the scale and complexity of MidFlorida, a well-planned succession strategy is integral to a smooth transition.”

Today, MidFlorida serves residents in 55 of Florida’s 67 counties. In 2019, it made a splash by acquiring a pair of banks: Ocala Community Bank & Trust of Florida and First American Bank of Iowa.

“Prior to hiring Kevin, the credit union was at a crossroads and a decision had to be made about whether to shrink or grow to resolve some of the issues,” longtime MidFlorida board member Chet Brojek states in the release. “When Kevin started, he immediately resolved to grow our way out and never looked back.”