Gary Pate has joined Excite Credit Union’s Wilmington team as a mortgage loan officer.

Pate, originally from Clinton, has 14 years of experience in the mortgage industry, according to a news release.

“We are thrilled to have Gary join our team in Wilmington,” Rick DeCrescente, vice president of sales for the firm’s North Carolina region, said in the release. “Gary’s goal is to educate our community on the options available when buying a home, working closely with them to find a loan that fit their needs ....”

Excite Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative that serves more than 38,000 members in six counties, three in California, and in New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties.