"It's just who I am."
That's how Members Cooperative Credit Union President and CEO Del Prevost explained why he chose to travel to all seven branches of the credit union in person on Monday to announce he'll be stepping down as of Oct. 8.
Prevost, a self-proclaimed "hands-on" manager, says he's always believed in "managing by walking around." And if MCCU's 135 employees - all of whom he knows personally - were to hear the news of his decision to retire, Prevost said it was only right that it come directly from his own mouth.
"I owe them so much," he said, in the self-effacing style that has made him so well liked. "They were all so warm and understanding."
Prevost suffered a brain aneurism eight months ago and has been recuperating ever since. And though he said he has been "very lucky" in surviving it and his progress has been positive, he admitted that to place himself in the "stressful environment" of daily job responsibilities is something his doctors feel is more than he should take on right now.
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"I wanted to reassure our employees and let them know there is a good succession plan in place," Prevost said of his announcements to staff yesterday.
Prevost, who has served on numerous boards and in many local organizations over the years, said he still plans to stay active in the community moving on into the future. He said volunteerism holds a real attraction for him.
"The big difference," he said, "is that I will be able to do things in my own time."
Prevost is a native of Cloquet, graduating from Cloquet High School in 1968. He attended St. John's University in Collegeville and graduated with degrees in economics and accounting in 1972. He then attended the University of Minnesota School of Law, obtaining his law degree in 1975.
Prevost then returned to his hometown of Cloquet and joined the law firm of Floyd Rudy and Dale Wolf. He stayed with the firm for 16 years, until accepting the position of president and chief operating officer of what was then Cloquet Cooperative Credit Union in February 1991, which was located at the time at 35 14th Street in Cloquet.
During Prevost's time with the credit union, he oversaw the move into its current main headquarters building, also on 14th Street, in 1995, expansion to seven branch offices in Cloquet, Duluth, McGregor and Aitkin, and asset growth from $70 million to $240 million.
Prevost said he is planning to bid his official farewell to employees during a full staff training day slated to take place at the Cloquet Forestry Center on Oct. 8 - Columbus Day and a bank holiday.
"Life is made up of good days - and great days," Prevost reflected with characteristic optimism on the time ahead of him. "This is going to be a new adventure for me."
