Columbia Credit Union’s new COO returns to Wash.

Columbia Community Credit union hired Brad Bauges to be its new senior vice president and chief operating officer.

The Vancouver-based credit union has undergone several management changes in the past year, since President and Chief Executive Officer Parker Cann left in April to join Boeing Employees’ Credit Union, Washington’s largest credit union, as a senior vice president and corporate counsel.

Bauges replaces former Chief Operating Officer Steve Kenny, who took over as the credit union’s chief executive officer in October after 22 years at the company.

Bauges was the vice president of branch services for Texas Dow Employees Credit Union, where he managed retail operations for the Lake Jackson, Texas-based credit union with $1.4 billion in assets.

Prior to his time in Texas, Bauges served as the regional vice president in Oak Harbor for Alaska USA Federal Credit Union. Bauges holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the Oregon Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in marketing from the University of Phoenix.

Additionally, he is receiving his third and final year of executive education from the Credit Union Executives Society CEO Institute.

Federally-insured Columbia Credit Union held $772 million in assets as of November 2009, according to the National Credit Union Administration. Columbia serves more than 64,000 members from 12 Clark County locations.