ARTICLE
Community Bankers of Washington Names Josh Deck Chairman October 11, 2025 - Josh Deck, President and CEO of Olympia Federal Savings in Olympia has been named Chairman of Community Bankers of Washington (CBW). Deck started his career as a bank examiner, joining Oly Fed in 2011 and becoming President/CEO in 2022. A Tacoma native, Josh now lives in Olympia where he serves on the board of several nonprofit and community-based organizations, while also coaching his sons’ baseball and basketball teams. “It’s an honor to contribute to the advancement of the economic well-being of our regional and state economies through the work of the CBW,” Deck said. “Community banks provide thousands of family wage jobs in our state and help strengthen the fabric of our communities through home ownership, the expansion of small businesses, philanthropic giving and investments, volunteerism, financial education and so much more. I am excited to help open the door to more opportunities for our members to further our difference-making efforts in the year ahead.” Deck takes the helm after the current Chairman, Jim Arneson, COO of Community First Bank in Kennewick resigned as Chairman following Community First’s announcement on Monday to sell the bank to a credit union. “Jim has been an asset to our board for many years,” says CBW President & CEO Kathy Swenson. “His experience, insight, loyalty to community banking, and his support of CBW will be sorely missed.” Although the bank is rightfully fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility to shareholders, CBW is disappointed by this announcement as well as the other four pending sales of Washington community banks to credit unions. Every time a tax-exempt credit union acquires a tax-paying community bank, those banking services, community investment and tax revenues provided by that community bank disappear from the city, county, and the entire state. Our elected officials are responsible to those communities and should be concerned about the millions of dollars of tax revenue about to be re-routed to the bottom line of credit unions. On Thursday, Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement after this year’s 18th acquisition of a tax-paying bank by a tax-exempt credit union — expanding on this year’s annual record. “With the fifth acquisition this year of a tax-paying community bank by a tax-exempt credit union in Washington State, it should come as no surprise that policymakers and the American public are increasingly scrutinizing the shocking record amount of these deals and the role of antiquated credit union policies. Read more. Dean Brydon, CEO of Timberland Bank in Hoquiam, will serve as CBW’s Chairman-Elect.