GoWest Board of Directors Spotlight: Carol Roby, Mohave Community Federal Credit Union President & CEO

Posted by Alyse Knudsen on July 1, 2026

For Carol Roby, President and CEO of Mohave Community Federal Credit Union, hiring isn’t just about filling a position — it’s about finding people who see a future with the organization.

That’s why she asks every applicant the same question: “What would be your future goal with this credit union if you were hired?”

If the answer is, “I don’t know,” Roby smiles and shares her own story.

“When I started here, I started as a part-time teller,” she tells them. “There’s always room for growth.”

It’s a message she knows firsthand.

This August marks 27 years with Kingman, Ariz.-based Mohave Community Federal Credit Union and nine years as President and CEO. Her journey — from part-time teller to leading the organization — is one she hopes inspires employees to see not just a job, but a career.

“I want people to know there’s opportunity here,” she said.

Growing Through Every Opportunity

Roby’s path into the Credit Union Movement wasn’t something she planned.

A visit to Mohave Community Federal Credit Union to see a former colleague from First Interstate Bank — who was then a vice president at Mohave — turned into an invitation to join the team as a part-time teller.

From there, every new opportunity became a chance to learn.

About a year later, she moved into a full-time teller position and later stepped into the role of loan officer. “I love numbers,” she said. “When they asked if I could fill in for our loan officer, I said absolutely.” The temporary lending assignment became permanent, launching what she still describes as “one of my most favorite areas in the credit union world.”

Over the years she continued growing — serving as branch manager, Vice President of Lending, and eventually preparing for the next step when her CEO announced plans to retire.

“She asked me if I’d be interested in learning her job and taking over,” Roby recalled. “I accepted the challenge and became President and CEO in 2017.”

Small Credit Union. Big Relationships.

Leading a small credit union is exactly where Roby wants to be. For her, the greatest advantage isn’t size — it’s relationships.

“When members walk in the door, the team knows each of them,” she said. “One-on-one relationships are important — you become like a big family.”

And those relationships extend beyond the walls of the credit union. “Our members know us out in public,” she said. “They acknowledge you, and you can actually sit down and have a conversation with them.”

She believes those close connections allow Mohave to serve members in ways larger institutions often cannot.

“We’ll go out of our way to creatively help people who need additional help instead of just saying, ‘You’re a no. You don’t qualify.'”

Serving an underserved community has only strengthened that commitment. “It’s all about people helping people,” Roby said. “We’re there for everyone.”

Serving Those Who Served

Among the initiatives she’s most proud of is Mohave’s lending program that offers qualifying veterans and active-duty service members low, fixed-rate consumer loans, regardless of credit score.

Supporting veterans is something she speaks about with genuine enthusiasm. “I’m a huge believer in supporting veterans. They have been there for us, so I want us to be there for them.”

Discovering the Power of the Advocacy

When Jay Curtis, President and CEO of First Credit Union, invited Roby to consider board service for Mountain West Credit Union Association in 2019, she was focused on one key question: What can the association do to support small credit unions like Mohave?

At the time, advocacy wasn’t an area she had spent much time in. “I really wasn’t exposed to advocacy much before becoming CEO,” she said.

But as she learned more about the work of the association — and the role it plays in shaping policy — her perspective quickly shifted.

“I realized the association was there for all credit unions, and definitely for small credit unions, too,” she said.

Serving on the board during the merger that created GoWest only reinforced that understanding. Bringing six states together wasn’t just a structural change — it strengthened the collective voice of credit unions across the West.

Through that experience, Roby gained a clearer view of what advocacy really means.

“If we’re not out there fighting for our members,” she said, “who’s going to?”

Building an Advocacy Culture

Today, Roby is intentional about turning that understanding into action across her credit union.

She intentionally involves her leadership team in the Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) meetings and GoWest advocacy events, making sure conversations continue after everyone returns to the office.

Whenever GoWest sends an advocacy alert, Roby forwards it to her entire staff. “We explain the bill, the pros and cons, and why it matters to us,” she said.

She also invited GoWest to conduct an advocacy presentation for every employee, helping connect day-to-day work with the policies that shape credit unions’ future.

“If my team understands advocacy and they take charge, it creates a ripple effect.”

That ripple effect is already taking hold — she is proud to see more credit union professionals participating in advocacy efforts throughout Arizona.

“When you see advocacy start to grow, it’s a good thing,” she said. “They’re out there fighting for our members.”

Looking Ahead

Outside the credit union, Roby has also invested time in understanding her community by participating in Kingman’s Citizens Academy, gaining insight into how local government works.

“It was a huge eye-opener on how city finances work,” she said. The experience reshaped how she thinks about civic decisions — showing how informed choices can make tax dollars go further.

That curiosity reflects how she approaches leadership — always looking for ways to better understand the people and community she serves.

Looking ahead, Roby’s goals remain focused close to home. She hopes to continue expanding programs that support Mohave’s underserved community, grow the credit union’s impact, and develop the next generation of leaders within her organization.

“I want to see growth with my staff, our membership, and our ability to put programs together that will help our community,” she said.

She also hopes advocacy continues to become part of Mohave’s culture.

“I already see improvement in that area!”

For Roby, whether she’s helping a member find a solution, encouraging an employee to pursue a new opportunity, or inspiring her team to raise their voices through advocacy, it all comes back to the same principle that drew her to credit unions nearly three decades ago: People Helping People.

Posted in Arizona, Board of Directors, Leadership, Regional Member News, Small Credit Unions, Top Headlines.