After more than 22 years at the helm, Lewiston native Ron Fournier retired from Maine Family Credit Union on Friday.

Fournier already had a long local resume — First Bank in Lewiston, Norway National Bank, Androscoggin Bank and Community Credit Union — before joining Maine Family in 1986 and being named president and CEO a year later.

Before he left, the Sun Journal asked about his time on the job, in his own words.

How have you seen the industry change?

Credit unions have evolved from offering only regular savings and consumer loans into a competitive full-service financial industry providing members with a viable alternative to banks. We now offer a wide range of deposit products including certificates of deposit, money market accounts, IRAs, HSAs. We have also become very competitive as mortgage lenders.

Any loans or customers that stand out over the years?

A few. I’ve always had an open door policy for members to come in and discuss their finances or anything else. There was one disabled veteran who would come in for a chat and for some help with his finances. It was always very gratifying to provide that type of personalized service for our members.

The achievement you’ve been proudest of?

Seeing the credit union grow and prosper from a $22 million dollar institution in 1982 to a successful credit union with over $103 million dollars in assets serving close to 18,000 members in 2010. The credit for our tremendous growth is shared with a great volunteer board of directors and committee members, but most of all with our hard-working, dedicated professional staff who have made this success possible.

Received any business advice that stood the test of time?

Work hard, be honest and treat people fairly.

What are your retirement plans?

Get caught up on projects around the house, travel and devote some time to volunteer organizations.

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