Simplicity CU announced Friday that former President/CEO Pat Wesenberg has passed away. Wesenberg joined Simplicity in 1981 and served as president/CEO since 1994.

“Pat was an inspiration to generations of credit union leaders through her unceasing dedication to financial equality. The credit union movement is stronger because of her leadership at the local, state, and national levels,” said CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends, as well as the many credit union leaders around the world that benefitted from knowing her.”

Wesenberg, who stepped down as president/CEO of Simplicity CU in October 2020, also served as board chair for CUNA, the National Credit Union Foundation, and the Wisconsin Credit Union League, and served on the CUNA board for 10 years. 

“Pat was a model of humility and humanity and would balk at us going on at length about her accomplishments. Instead, we believe it was more important to Pat to help others succeed,” Simplicity CU said in a statement. “She demonstrated it in the work she did, the words of love and encouragement she shared, and the way she held us accountable to do the right thing, the best thing, every single day. Those of us who were fortunate enough to learn the lesson of looking Pat in the eye when she asked, ‘What are we going to do now to make sure this never happens again?’ have been made better and stronger for it."