The board of directors of the $7.3 billion Suncoast CreditUnion appointed Kevin Johnson (pictured) as the new president/CEOfor Suncoast, Florida's largest financial cooperative.

Effective Oct. 1, 2016, Johnsonwill succeed 20-year President/CEO Tom Dorety, who announcedhis retirement in May.

Johnson joined the Tampa-based Suncoast in 1985, leading theorganization's transition into information technology and headingits member contact center and payment services divisions.

Prior to his appointment, Johnson served as Suncoast's EVP andchief information officer, where he collaborated with Dorety, senior management and the board of directors onstrategy and organizational leadership and was directly involvedwith strategic planning, product development, member support,digital delivery channels, payment services, industry partnerships,political advocacy and process improvement.

Johnson's compensation was $515,552, according to the creditunion's 2014 IRS 990 documents. In that same year, Dorety'scompensation totaled $1,084,600.

“Working with Tom Dorety has thoroughly prepared me, and I amgrateful for his strong leadership under which I have served forover two decades now,” Johnson said in a prepared statement. “Tomhas instilled in me, and in many others, the vision, work ethic andleadership skills that will make us all successful for years tocome.”

Johnson also serves as board secretary of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions and as director of theboard of the league's LEVERAGE Service Corporation.

Additionally, he is a trustee of the Southeastern Credit UnionFoundation and a member of CUNA's payments subcommittee and theSymitar Advisory Board.

“The board of directors is fully confident in Kevin's capabilityto lead Suncoast forward based on his demonstrated leadership aswell as his strategic initiatives for the industry as a whole,”Velia Pedrero, Suncoast's board chair, said in a preparedstatement. “Kevin has been an advocate for Suncoast since he beganhis career here 31 years ago, and his impactful service gave us thecertainty we needed in naming him to this position.”

Suncoast's 1,398 employees serve nearly 700,000 members andoperate 60 branches throughout 21 counties.