New Bethpage CEO cites 'orderly' transition

Bethpage Federal Credit Union's new interim chief executive said in remarks prepared for a managers meeting next week that his transition into the company's top job was "orderly."

Wayne Grossé took over as CEO on Wednesday from Kirk Kordeleski, who resigned for health reasons.

In the remarks for managers, Grossé said, "the same strong executive team that guides Bethpage on a day-to-day level remains in place doing what we do best" and that the transition was "the kind of thing large organizations like Bethpage regularly plan for."

Thursday, Grossé said in a memo to Bethpage's 645 workers that the company has a "strong team."

Grossé, 56, of Bayport, joined Bethpage 15 years ago and has been chief operating officer for seven years. Grossé wasn't available to be interviewed, Bethpage said.

A spokeswoman for Bethpage, Katherine Heaviside, said Kordeleski was expected to make a "full recovery." Bethpage hasn't disclosed details about Kordeleski's health.

In a post on Facebook, Kordeleski, 57, of Sea Cliff, wrote, "I have made some changes in my life for my health and the good of our families (mine and Bethpage)."

In an email to Newsday Thursday, Kordeleski said, "Since I want the focus to be on Bethpage and the strong management team that will continue its success into the future, I would prefer not to be interviewed at the present time. When my health issues are resolved, I look forward to talking to you again."

With $5.7 billion in assets, Bethpage now has 245,000 members, Heaviside said.

Teachers Federal Credit Union of Hauppauge, said Thursday that it had 239,993 members as of June, the most recent date for which a figure is available. It has about $5 billion in assets.

Kordeleski joined Bethpage in 1992 as executive vice president for operations and became president and chief executive in 2000.

He has been a high profile figure in the Long Island business community. In 2012, he became chairman of the Long Island Association, the region's major trade group, after being vice chairman for several years. He has resigned that post, a spokesman for the group said Thursday.

Raised in Alexandria, Virginia, Kordeleski is an alumnus of George Mason University, in Fairfax, holding a bachelor of science degree in accounting and information systems.