“It’s the end of an era,” said Dave Willis, president and chief operations officer at Tinker Federal Credit Union, about the upcoming retirement of long-time CEO Mike Kloiber, who has been with TFCU since 1988 and has served as Chief Executive Officer for the past 25 years. Kloiber’s last day will be August 31. “They say that people don’t leave a job because of pay or dissatisfaction with the work, but because of the boss. So, it’s a testament to Mike’s leadership all these years that the average tenure of his management team is more than a quarter century,” said Willis, who will step into the CEO role on September 1. “I have big shoes to fill,” he said.
Under Kloiber’s leadership as CEO, TFCU’s assets have grown five-fold and membership has grown from 155,000 to 420,000. Kloiber has led TFCU through an expansion from 11 to 32 branches, and the technological age of websites, social media, online account access and more. But, three dramatic events stand out among all others.
When the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was bombed in 1995, Tinker offered space in its corporate offices as a temporary home for the Federal Employees Credit Union as it faced a huge recovery effort. Kloiber was called upon to lead a team of executives and support staff who came together over the next six weeks to work with the FECU survivors and ensure the credit union would not only survive but also eventually thrive.
Years later, the 2013 tornado destroyed TFCU’s Moore branch, and Kloiber was called upon once again to lead a credit union back from the ashes. The only thing left standing was part of one wall and the safe deposit box vault where employees and members had ridden out the storm. Less than a year later TFCU’s new branch opened its doors as the first destroyed business in town to reopen.
And, of course, 2020 brought the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many businesses, TFCU was faced with a challenge unlike any it had ever seen. Policies, procedures, and work processes all had to be adapted daily to maintain member service.
But, none of those are what Kloiber wants to be remembered for most. “I want to be remembered as the kind of leader who could relate to employees, members and our volunteers,” he said. “We really have been like a family. I’ve spent more time with a lot of our employees than I do anyone else, and I’ve worked with many of them through my entire TFCU career. I tried to be a leader who employees of all levels would feel is approachable.”
Judging from the hugs, cards, cakes and well wishes on a recent “farewell tour” of branches and departments, it’s clear Kloiber has succeeded at that.
In addition to leading TFCU, Kloiber has been a community and industry leader as well, having served on numerous boards of directors for chambers of commerce, non-profits, and credit union trade associations. So, while he has earned a happy retirement, he will be missed well beyond the walls of TFCU.