CSUSB Praises Credit Union CEO's Efforts

by Debbie Pfeiffer, San Bernardino County Sun.

San Bernardino - Growing up in the Imperial Valley, Larry Sharp realized early on that he did not want to follow his father into farming.
Instead, he studied business in college and went on to become president and chief executive officer of Arrowhead Credit Union in San Bernardino.

For his achievements as an area businessman and countless contributions to the community, Sharp will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters at Cal State San Bernardino's commencement ceremonies Sunday.

He will receive the honor at the College of Business and Public Administration's graduation ceremony.

Sharp, 66, of Redlands said the news he was being honored at the college came as a surprise.

"It seems like this kind of recognition is for people on a different level than I am," he said. "So I am absolutely flattered."

Sharp has a long connection with Cal State San Bernardino, including receiving his master's degree in business administration in the college's first executive cohort program in 2003.

He has supported the college's programs and facilities, and in 1998 received CSUSB's Arrowhead Distinguished Chief Executive Award.

He was commencement speaker in 2004 and serves on the Dean's Advisory Board for the university's College of Business and Public Administration.

"We are very pleased to bestow this degree on Larry Sharp," said Cal State San Bernardino President Albert K. Karnig. "Beyond being a leader in the business community, he is a leader in the community."

After leaving farm life behind, Sharp earned a bachelor's degree in business from National University and worked for two credit unions in San Diego.

He has led Arrowhead Credit Union for 25 years. In that time the credit union has increased membership by more than six times, to the current level of 168,000.

ACU's assets have grown more than twentyfold to nearly $1.1 billion.

In 2000 he was named Business Leader of the Year by The Sun.

He serves as chairman of the Loma Linda University Children's Hospital foundation board and is past president of the San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce.

In 2007, Sharp was named chairman of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership.

He has also served as vice chairman of the Enterprise for Economic Excellence, a cooperative venture among government education and business leaders.

Among Sharp's community nonprofit involvement is his work as corporate recruitment chairman for Inland Empire Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation's "Walk for the Cure"; his service as chairman of the Riverside-San Bernardino Community Foundation Board; and three terms on the board of the San Bernardino County Employees Retirement Association.