STCU, the Liberty Lake-based credit union, announced this afternoon that it has selected veteran bank executive Ezra Eckhardt to become its new president and CEO. He will start in that position Jan. 1.

A Spokane native and graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Eckhardt most recently served as executive vice president for Umpqua Bank. Prior to the Portland-based bank’s acquisition of Sterling Financial Corp., Eckhardt worked at Sterling Savings Bank as president and chief operating officer.

Eckhardt will replace Tom Johnson, who announced plans to retire earlier this year.

Johnson became president and CEO of STCU in 2011, succeeding Steve Dahlstrom. Johnson first joined STCU’s board of directors in 1994 and became its vice president of administration in 2006.

STCU is the largest credit union in Spokane, in terms of local deposits, according to the Journal of Business’ Spokane-Area Credit Unions list, published June 22. As of Dec. 31, 2016, STCU had $2 billion in total deposits in Spokane County and $2.5 billion in total assets.

The organization has about 171,000 members and 640 employees. In all, it has 21 branches in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.