Pictured left to right: Tina Sbrega, Gerald Bankowski, Joshua Brier. Photo courtesy GFA Federal Credit Union

Gardner-based GFA Federal Credit Union has named Joshua Brier as its next president and CEO. Brier replaces Tina Sbrega, who will retire from the role on April 2 and take on a leadership role at the credit union’s cannabis banking subsidiary.

Brier was selected to lead the credit union after the board conducted a nationwide search, the credit union said in a statement. Brier has been GFA’s executive vice president and chief operating officer since 2018. He will be GFA’s fifth president and CEO since its founding in 1938.

“We are very pleased to have this opportunity to appoint Joshua as president and CEO as we value his contributions to our success,” Gerald Bankowski, chief governance officer of the board of directors, said in a statement. “He has demonstrated his commitment to our mission and core values since joining the GFA, and we are confident that he will continue to ensure service to members and community engagement. We look forward to seeing the continued growth and success of the credit union under his leadership.”

Brier has more than 15 years of banking and leadership experience. He was previously senior vice president of retail banking, sales and marketing at Connecticut-based Dime Bank for four years. Prior to that, he spent 11 years in a variety of roles at Bank of America.

“To say I am honored is an understatement,” Brier said in the statement. “I have spent my career preparing for this opportunity and I am humbled the board has placed their confidence in me to lead this organization and continue serving the membership and the community.”

Sbrega said in the statement that she was pleased Brier had been appointed as her successor, adding that she was confident he would continue to advance the vision of GFA.

“GFA is an outstanding organization highly regarded for its fiscal responsibility, mission-driven, community involvement, and innovation,” Sbrega said. “It will be my honor to pass the torch along to Mr. Brier.”

Sbrega has been at GFA for 40 years and became president and CEO in 2009. During her tenure, GFA more than doubled its size and now has over $600 million in assets and 10 branches. She also led the organization as it became the first credit union in the nation to acquire a stock-owned bank.

Sbrega formed a wholly owned subsidiary, Lighthouse Biz Solutions LLC, to provide banking to licensed, legal cannabis operators. She will remain in a leadership role with Lighthouse Biz Solutions.

“I am beyond excited for this move as my passion has grown significantly starting when we were the first to offer banking services in Massachusetts for this industry,” Sbrega said in a statement posted to Lighthouse Biz Solutions’ Facebook page. “To see these businesses that we work with grow has been a great reward and I’m looking forward to what the future has to offer to all of us.”