News

Ernest Huggard, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Harvest Credit Union, will be honored as Businessperson of the Year at the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce 19th Annual Community Service Awards. The Chamber’s yearly Community Service Awards honor individuals and businesses who have exceeded their goals and made a difference in the lives of others in the community. 

Huggard was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of First Harvest, then named South Jersey Federal Credit Union, in April 2018, after serving as the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for three years. Prior to joining the credit union, Huggard spent 30 years in various senior leadership positions within the banking and credit union institutions, starting two de novo banks from capital funding and full regulatory approval to grand opening, and converting a mutual savings bank to a publicly traded bank.

A retired Lieutenant Colonel in the New Jersey Army National Guard, Huggard served 28 years, rising to the ranks of Company and Battalion Commander, Inspector General, and Military Liaison in Albania. He was a member of the Galloway Township Board of Education for 19 years and served as the Board’s President for 17 years. Huggard also served the community as Chair of Career Opportunity Development, Inc. (CODI), Treasurer of the Holy Spirit High School Fathers Club, and a member of Middle School Now for Galloway Township Public Schools and Imagination Station for Galloway Township. Huggard has participated in the New Jersey Credit Union League and served on the CrossState Credit Union Association Board of Directors since 2017. Huggard is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Masters in Management