AACUC African American Credit Union Hall of Fame

Inducted March 2019

Charles N. Alston, Sr. has been a volunteer of Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union for 30 years.  He currently serves on its board of directors and as chairman of the credit appeals committee. During his tenure, the credit union has grown from approximately $175 million in assets and 42,500 members in 1988 to over $1.3 billion in assets and 130,000 members in 2018. Mr. Alston attributes the credit union’s success to its commitment to the People Helping People philosophy, and its commitment to the community. APGFCU supports hundreds of organizations throughout the communities it serves both financially and through volunteer time.

In 1993, Mr. Alston led the effort to create a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity in the credit union’s field of membership. In its 25-year history, Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna has completed over 100 construction projects and has served more than 700 families through its homeownership, repair and financial literacy programs.

During his employment, he served as a senior research analyst with the office of the Technical Director, Army Material System Analysis Activity (AMSAA). He was instrumental in laying the foundation for a multi-agency task force for the recruitment of minorities for the scientist and engineer career fields. This program received high acclaim from the U.S. Army and Material Command, as well as the Baltimore Federal Executive Board.

Charles is a life member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He is also the co-founder of the Iota Nu Chapter of Harford and Cecil Counties. The chapter supports the community by providing scholarships and tutoring services at the Boys and Girls Clubs.  An active member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Charles serves as a deacon, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, advisor to the Scholarship Committee, and a Sunday school teacher.

Charles has been married to Mildred Hayes Alston for 54 years. They are parents of two children: Alicia, wife to Lt. Colonel (retired) Donald Harrison, and Charles N. Alston, Jr., husband of Renee Wilson Alston. Charles and Mildred are the proud grandparents of Isaiah Charles Alston.

Inducted February 2021

Pier Yvette Alsup is the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer for Together Credit Union (formally, Anheuser-Busch Employees’ Credit Union). In March 2021, Pier celebrated her 31st anniversary with the Credit Union. As Chief DEI Officer, Pier leads the Credit Union’s commitment to an equitable, inclusive work environment where diversity is celebrated, valued, and enriches personal and organizational growth. She is responsible for designing initiatives to identify inequities within the organization, fostering an inclusive and engaging culture, and developing and facilitating learning opportunities. Pier leads Together Credit Union’s DEI Council as its founding member. Formed in 2018, the Council is comprised of diverse employees from all levels of the organization as well as a member of the Credit Union’s Board of Directors. The Council’s mission is to empower its members to serve as thought leaders and champions in the advancement of the Credit Union’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Additionally, Pier is the executive sponsor of the Credit Union’s Employee Resource Groups. 

Inducted February 2024

Timothy L. Anderson has a long history with the United States Senate Federal Credit Union (USSFCU), serving as the EVP and Chief Retail Officer prior to assuming the role of President and CEO in 2019.  He served on the USSFCU Board of Directors for over fifteen years in various capacities, including as Chairman of the Board.  He began his career with USSFCU as the Branch Manager of the flagship Hart Senate location. 

Tim possesses over 30 years of senior executive and management experience at large banks and credit unions.  He was the CEO of a local credit union in Washington, DC; a position he held for eight years prior to becoming EVP at USSFCU.  Other positions include VP and COO at American Spirit Federal Credit Union; VP and COO at the Treasury Department Federal Credit Union; VP of Operations at Equitable and Independence Banks; and Assistant VP and Financial Center Manager at BB&T and M&T banks in the Washington, DC area. 

Tim has expansive professional experience.  He has served as an Engagement Advisory Member at the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and is a current member on the Board of Directors for the Maryland & DC Credit Union Association (MDDCCUA).  He serves as a member on the Board of Directors and past Chairman for the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC).  He is past Chairman of USSFCU’s wholly owned CUSO, Credit Union Strategic Services, which focuses on business loan participations.  

Tim received his M.B.A. from the University of Maryland, University College and serves this institution as an Adjunct Professor in the Finance and Economics Department. 

Inducted February 2016

For nearly five decades the name of A.A. “Paddy” Bailey was synonymous with international savings and credit cooperative development. A true visionary, Bailey dedicated himself to the promotion of co-ops, in particular credit unions.

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Bailey started as an inspector of co-ops in Jamaica, becoming the leading organizer of credit unions there. He joined CUNA International in the 1950s, rising to become executive director of its World Extension Department.  While at CUNA Bailey was responsible for the development of credit union leagues throughout the West Indies and the formation of the first regional credit union organization. His talents and enthusiasm for co-op philosophy were later applied in Africa, where he helped to found the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations.

Bailey became the first full-time managing director of the World Council of Credit Unions in 1975, where he continued to be an innovative leader and co-op advocate.

Through his career and throughout his life, Bailey has been instrumental in spreading the word about the value of cooperation, and developing many new credit unions, credit union leagues and other institutions.

Inducted February 2021

Anthony P. Bailey, Vice President, Pepco Federal Credit has been in the credit union industry for 39 years.  I began working in member services and moved to the accounting department thus progressing to my current position.   

Always a reader I came across AACUC in a credit union publication and joined immediately and that began my journey.  I planned to attend my first annual conference in 2004 and with the sudden death of my mother I was not able to attend. Then in 2005 I was able to attend my first conference and has attended every year since then except for 2016 because of a health issue. I have been totally impressed with organization especially the educational benefit and the philosophy. I served on the planning committee for the Eastern Regional Chapter. I served as treasurer for many years and attended regular meetings.  

While being employed I have always believed in advancement, thus hiring individuals that showed great potential and many have gained great positions.  

I am really looking forward to the future of AACUC and all of its success. 

Inducted February 2025

Tony LaDarryl Black, Sr., was a dedicated leader, beginning his finance career in 1983 as a collections and loan officer at United Gas and Pipeline Federal Credit Union in Houston, TX. He was quickly promoted to Associate Manager of Energy Employees Credit Union, before ultimately joining Baylor College of Medicine Federal Credit Union in 1997. For over 25 years, he served as the President and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine Federal Credit Union, providing invaluable financial services to its members across the Greater Houston area. His unwavering commitment to excellence and genuine care for others earned him deep respect and admiration from both colleagues and clients.

Black’s significant contributions to his community included remaining an active member of the AACUC for more than 20 years and serving as the Texas Regional Chapter Secretary. He was a member of the Cornerstone Resources Board of Directors and contributed his expertise to the Houston Chapter of Credit Unions’ Audit Committee. Throughout his career, he regularly participated in CEO Roundtable discussions and engaged in Houston chapter meetings.

Black’s love for the arts was prominent throughout his life with his commitment to serving as Treasurer for the Ensemble Theatre Board of Directors for over a decade. He also possessed a passion for nurturing young minds in underserved communities. He was a successful business owner for over 20 years, operating two childcare facilities.

He held a Bachelor of Science in Business and Commerce and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston.

Inducted March 2026

Creighton P. Blackwell is a dynamic executive with nearly 30 years of experience in community and business leadership. He currently serves as the Chief Community Impact & Public Affairs Officer at Coastal Credit Union, having previously held roles such as Chief Culture and Impact Officer, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Community Engagement, and VP of Retail Banking. At RBC Bank, he served as U.S. Director of Sales Communications and Marketing, Founder of the Sales Solutions Center, Founder and Director of the National Cross Border Business Banking Program and Managing Director of Business Banking Strategy for North America. He also served as Market Executive for multiple cities.

Blackwell is deeply involved in community service, holding positions on numerous nonprofit executive boards, including the North Carolina Council on Economic Education and the Triangle Community Foundation. He has received various recognitions for his contributions to business and community, including the Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s Businessperson of the Year, the Triangle Business Journal’s CEO and C-Suite Executive of the Year Award, and ESPN\99.9 The Fan’s Sport Shop Radio Show as a Salute to Heroes Honoree.

Blackwell is a graduate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and the North Carolina School of Banking. He also completed the Leadership North Carolina program and is a Certified Innovation Executive from Stanford University’s Business School. He is an accomplished public speaker and advocate for sustainability, economic development, and financial education. He enjoys coaching sports and spending time with his family.

Inducted February 2021

Jim Blaine lives in the woods in rural North Carolina. He is slightly balding, can be testy, is not getting thinner, has been known to argue and has at least one opinion on everything. Jim thinks he can dance, but he really can’t; likes most people and all dogs. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, holds an MBA from Duke University and is also a CPA (inactive). Jim worked with the State Employees’ Credit Union and while employed served unsuccessfully on numerous boards and committees. Much to his relief and to the relief of his fellow committee colleagues, he was rarely re-elected and never reappointed.

Jim has been married to Jean Burdette Blaine for 45 years. Jean is an individual of exceptional patience. They have five adult children - Jim, Eleanor, Sarah, Thomas, and Mary - and a small swarm of grandchildren. His grandchildren call him “Sweetbaby", but they are still too young to know better.

He currently tends chickens and raises daffodils, while retaining an active interest in provocation and inspiration. He is developing a fondness for champagne.

Inducted August 2019

Sandra DeVoe Bland, a distinguished professional with over 35 years of leadership, management, engineering, and technical experience at the Savannah River Site (SRS), is the first female and African American Chairman of SRP Federal Credit Union’s Board of Directors. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech and a master's degree in project management from Keller Graduate School of Management. She has over 27 years of SRP FCU board experience, mastering governance and consultative leadership utilizing strategic thought to execute her duties. She is employed by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the Management and Operations Contractor for SRS. Sandra is also the founder of S. J. DEVOE & Associates.  

As SRP FCU Board Chairman, Ms. DeVoe Bland has contributed to and ensured the financial safety and soundness of SRP. She has led the Board through rapid growth, the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and leadership transitions. This is evidenced by SRP’s stellar performance trend and delivery of solid results. Focusing on setting strategic direction and amplifying members’ voices, Ms. DeVoe Bland embodies servant leadership, reinforcing SRP’s commitment to its membership, communities, and “people helping people.” 

Beyond her board duties, Ms. DeVoe Bland is deeply committed to promoting financial literacy and stewardship within the community and throughout the southeast. She builds high performing teams and inspires others. She is actively involved in teaching financial education, champions the credit union movement, and advocates for members’ interests. 

With her unwavering dedication and inspiring leadership, Sandra DeVoe Bland ensures a brighter future for all those she serves. 

Inducted March 2026

Leigh Brady is the President and Chief Executive Officer of State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU), the first female to hold this position at the nation’s second largest credit union. Prior to being named to her current position in July 2023, she served as Chief Operating Officer, providing oversight for retail operations, deposits and central functions, card services, human resources, training, marketing, communications, outreach, the Credit Union’s CUSO services, and the SECU Foundation.

Having been at SECU for 38 years, Leigh began her career as an accountant at SECU and has served in a variety of operations positions throughout the organization, helping to grow the credit union, which now serves over 2.9 million members and operates branches in all 100 North Carolina counties.

Brady holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from North Carolina State University and a Master of Business Administration from Meredith College. She previously held several insurance licenses and obtained the Credit Union Development Educator designation. She serves on the Carolinas Credit Union League Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of America’s Credit Unions CEO Council and is a member of the International Women’s Forum of the Carolinas. She also volunteers her time with the Mary Stewart Woman’s Club of Raleigh.

Inducted August 2022

Gloria V. Bowden began her 52-year history with Democracy Federal Credit Union in 1969 (then named HEW Employees Federal Credit Union) as a Loan Assistant and Membership Officer.  Her strong work ethic and passion for learning carried her up the corporate ladder, first to Assistant Treasurer, then VP/SVP of Member Services, and finally to Executive Vice President and COO. Although she was more than capable, she repeatedly declined offers to become CEO over the years, preferring to be a strong support to the leadership team and all staff. Among her many important achievements, she presided over both the new charter that brought in all of residents of DC in 2003 and over the name change from HEW to Democracy in 2015. She also was actively involved in the MD/DC Credit Union Association’s advocacy efforts. But ultimately, she was the glue that held things together at Democracy FCU. She was well-loved and respected by so many over the years spending countless hours with her staff; coaching, developing, mentoring, encouraging, and holding them to a higher standard. Every one of her employees would tell you that she had a gift for being honest and holding them accountable with the utmost compassion and kindness. Members of DFCU have shared endless fond memories of how she took time with them, personally cared about them, saved them and their family from financial ruins, giving them a chance at a better future. 

Equally near and dear to Mrs. Bowden was her place of worship, Varick Memorial AME Zion Church in Washington, DC which she joined over 50 years ago; a steadfast member extremely dedicated to her church family and deeply rooted in their ministries. Her involvement in every aspect of Varick’s ministries lead her to become a Preacher’s Steward Deaconess, Chair President/Member and Class Leader. In all, she made her mark as a faithful servant to each and every pastor at Varick AME Zion Church. Giving her time, talent, and treasure ensuring that the clergy and their families were provided for as well as anybody coming through those church doors that had a need. She is called “Sister” and “Mother” by so many in the Varick and River Terrace communities and she had a gift for making each person feel as if they were the most special person in the world because she truly believed that.  

Even outside of her church community, Mrs. Bowden generously gave of her time and treasure to local and national organizations. Among some of her contributions are: Advisory Neighborhood Commission; Chair of the Finance Committee at Nonprofit Ministry; Cherry Blossom Race; Volunteer for Children’s Miracle Network; Food and Clothing Bank for the Needy; Mentor Program for Teens and Young Mothers; 900 Lunches for the Community – Program Set-up for the Hungry; Roblee Community Association; Summer Programs for Youth and Young Adults; The Power Company Kids Club; Toy Bears for Children’s Hospital.  

In her spare moments, Mrs. Bowden loved gardening, enjoying the unique and beautiful birds in her backyard, fishing and traveling with family.  

Inducted February 2020

“Work hard. Be true to yourself. Take responsibility.
Have a positive outlook. Expect the best from people.”
-Herbert “Bertie” Bowman

These are the beliefs that Bertie Bowman lives by and the values that have served him well throughout his life and career.

Arriving in the nation's capital in 1944, Bertie Bowman is the longest-serving African-American staff member on Capitol Hill. From sweeping the steps to working in the coffee shop and the Capitol barbershop—Bowman held several jobs in the Senate, ultimately rising to become assistant hearing coordinator for the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, one of the most powerful committees in Congress.
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Herbert "Bertie" Bowman was born in the small town of Summerton, South Carolina, in 1931. His precise birth date uncertain, Bowman believes he was born April 12, 1931.

​A 12-year-old Bowman met Senator Burnet R. Maybank, while he was campaigning for re-election outside a local store. Maybank addressed the crowd as he was leaving and said “if you’re ever in Washington to come by and see me”. Bowman said, ‘If I come to Washington, D.C., can I come by and see you?’ The Senator replied “yes” and a year later Mr. Bowman left home and went to Washington.

Inducted July 2024

Marshall Boutwell was born in NC and grew up in a military family. He volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1967. During service in Vietnam, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, 12 Air Medals, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Boutwell completed his military service in 1972 then attended Campbell College. 

Boutwell’s career in business management includes positions with several companies in the financial services industry. He began his credit union career as President/CEO at Peach State FCU in 1994. During his tenure, Peach State has grown from $14M to over $916M in total assets. The credit union serves 75,000+ members with 200+ employees and 26 branches in GA and SC.  

Boutwell is a leader in the credit union movement and has served on numerous boards and committees. He is the recipient of the World Council of Credit Unions Distinguished Service Award, the Moses C. Davis Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the Credit Union House Hall of Leaders. Boutwell is also the recipient of the Knights Cross of the Order of Merit from the Republic of Poland and the Polish Credit Union Foundation “Feniks” Award for his support of Polish credit unions.  

Inducted March 2024

John Bratsakis has been President and Chief Executive Officer of MD|DC Credit Union Association since 2011. His 35-year career in the credit union movement includes extensive experience in operations and advocacy. He served as Senior Vice President of Baxter Credit Union in Vernon Hills, Illinois; CEO of Community Trust Credit Union in Gurnee, Illinois; and held management positions with United Federal Credit Union in Michigan and Teachers Credit Union in Indiana. John is currently the Chair of CU4Kids, Credit Union Miracle Day and the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. He also serves on the American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL) Executive Committee as Secretary/Treasurer and as Board Member for CU Risk Intelligence, League InfoSight, and Plexcity a back-office company for associations.

Inducted August 2021

Dawn Brewer says that service is woven into her DNA. For her, that means making a positive difference in whatever she does. 

She has been in financial services for 30+ years. She is an avid volunteer for multiple organizations and churches. She began her career with a small community bank in Burlington, NJ, and went on to work for other financial institutions before relocating to Atlanta and starting a 21-year career at Coca-Cola Credit Union. Dawn began as a teller, worked in various departments and rose to VP of Marketing consistently winning awards and accolades before retiring in 2017. 

 She has worked tirelessly for AACUC in many volunteer capacities and became the Director of Membership. She mentored 7 interns over the span of the program at Coca-Cola Credit Union with 3 progressing on to become permanent employees. Volunteering at the Boys and Girls Clubs teaching financial literacy and mentoring others for several years are some of her fondest memories working in financial services.  

A cancer survivor with a zest for life, she continues to make lasting memories with her husband, blended family of 6 children, 15 grandchildren, and a host of family and friends on this wonderful journey called Life!   

Inducted August 2016

​Educational Systems Federal Credit Union in Greenbelt, Md. for more than 50 years, she served for 46 years on the board of directors. During her service, Brinkley held the offices of treasurer, vice chair and chair for the past 20 years.

Under her leadership on the board, Educational Systems FCU grew from serving several thousand members in one Maryland county to more than 87,000 members in seven counties throughout the state.

Brinkley received her undergraduate degree from Hampton University and her master’s degree from New York University.

During her 33-year career in education, she was an educator with Charles County Public Schools and later became an educator and administrator in Prince George’s County Public Schools. As an educator, Brinkley enjoyed teaching business classes and was a life-long supporter of financial education.

“Rosemary always led with her mantra of ‘We can do better.’ She was a true champion of education and credit unions,” Chris Conway, president/CEO of Educational Systems FCU, said. “Our credit union family is deeply saddened by her passing on October 21, 2016.”

Inducted August 2018

Carolyn has been a member and a volunteer at SecurityPlus FCU through its incarnation (SSA Baltimore Federal Credit Union) since 1971.  She attended Hampton University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics and an M.A. in Mathematics from Morgan State University f/k/a Morgan State College.   Carolyn is a lifetime member of the Morgan State Alumni Association.

She was previously employed with the Social Security Administration where she served for over thirty-eight years and was promoted to Deputy Division Director upon her retirement.  Carolyn has been an active member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (DST) since 1966.  She is an avid church member who loves the Lord and loves to serve people.  She currently serves as the treasurer of her church.

Carolyn served as the First Black Female on the Board of Directors of the former SSA Baltimore Federal Credit Union and also served as the First Black Female President of the Credit Union.

Inducted February 2021

Gerald S. Brooks is a retired Marketing, Public and Community Relations Director for the St. Louis Public Library where he worked for 24 years.   

In his first twenty-two years, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Marketing Department and supervised all aspects of the Library's public relations, media relations, special events, advertising, printing, design, writing, photography, and community relations.  He worked closely with the media, other non-profit organizations, and the corporate community to increase public awareness of the Library's services, and create sponsorships that enhance the Library's ability to serve St. Louis. 

In his last two years, he helped create a department that worked collaboratively with Library staff and community partners to develop system-wide innovative programming that served the diverse needs of the community and that was consistent with the mission and strategic goals of the Library. He oversaw staff responsible for all aspects of public programming, exhibitions, volunteers, and special events including planning, implementations, and logistics. In addition, he supervised the management of the Library’s meeting rooms and the programming and event space in Central Library. He worked closely with the Marketing and Technology Departments to promote Library programs and events. He was also responsible for establishing partnerships and sponsorships of Library programming initiatives.  

He was a member of the Library's senior management team, the media liaison and an official spokesperson for the Library.  

Before coming to work for the Library, Mr. Brooks spent twenty-one years in various capacities with the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, rising from mailroom clerk to Corporate Advertising Coordinator. After corporate downsizing, he was laid off and went to work for the Missouri Historical Society in the development department. He worked there for one year before taking the job at the Library. 

Mr. Brooks (a native of St. Louis), has been active in the St. Louis community for the last five decades. He was a member of the Leadership St. Louis class of 1995-96 and has served on a number of Boards and committees. He currently serves on the Boards of the St. Louis Community Credit Union (Chairman), the African Heritage Association of St. Louis, Inc. (Chairman), the St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired (Chairman 2005 & 2006) (Minority Advisory Board, Chairman) and the Friends of the Missouri Governor’s Mansion. He also serves on the Gala committee for Habitat for Humanity St. Charles County and the Legislative committee for the Missouri Library Association. 

For his many community efforts and contributions, Mr. Brooks was listed repeatedly in Who's Who in Black St. Louis. He has also been honored with various awards including the St. Louis Sentinel Yes, I Can Award; the Mathews-Dickey Alumni Award for Community Service and Contributions made to youth; the Missouri Black Expo/University of Missouri-Columbia Unsung Hero Award; the North Side Preservation Commission Award and the Fair St. Louis Mel Loewenstein Distinguished Volunteer Service Award.  In addition, he has been recognized with plaques and certificates of appreciation from various organizations including: the Delta Gama Center; Ames School; St. Louis Community Credit Union; Gravois Business Improvement District; Williams Middle School; African Arts Festival; St. Louis Public Schools Role Model Program; Blewett Middle School; Majic 104.9 Radio; The Urban League Adult Basic Education Program and the Department of the Army Personnel Center.   

 He is also profiled in best-selling author Gail Sheehy’s book Understanding Men’s Passages, a contributing author to Missouri Libraries Your Lifetime Connection, a marketing manual for Missouri Library staff and trustees and a contributing author to Family Affair: What It Means to Be African American Today, a book of essays by Gil L. Robertson, IV. 

 He is a current member of the Missouri Library Association (MLA) (President 2014), the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC), the Mathews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club (Alumni 1968) and FOCUS St. Louis. 

For more than twenty years before retiring, he participated in the St. Louis Public Schools' Career Role Model Program by visiting city schools to share his experiences with children. 

In 1999 he was appointed by the State Librarian to the Missouri Library Marketing Task Force and chosen as a member of the Missouri Legislative Committee for Libraries in 2001, where continues to serve today.  

Mr. Brooks holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Tarkio College. He resides in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife of 41 years.  They have two daughters. 

Inducted February 2020

Willie L. Bryant, Sr., DDS, was born in Goulds (Dade County), Florida to Claudia Mae Bryant and John Henry Ashley on October 6, 1938. This period marked the era of the Great Depression and Jim Crow. During this time, many families across the country were looking for work and trying to survive the harsh economic collapse that was on the horizon. The jobs that were available discriminated against people of African-American descent, leaving only a handful of jobs they were allowed to work. Dr. Bryant’s single, disabled mother had to work several domestic jobs to support her seven children, since their father did not offer any financial support despite their father’s success as a land owner in the Goulds’ community.  His mother stressed the only way to escape their impoverished living conditions was through education.

Growing up in the Great Depression and Jim Crow South made it difficult to obtain an education.  At various times, Dr. Bryant and his siblings worked as migratory workers selling fruits and vegetables to support the family. The Black educational system did not have the resources to adequately educate African-American youths as their white counterparts.  Dr. Bryant and his siblings matriculated through primary school as their mother required all of them to verbally explain the thinking behind their daily completed homework assignments.  Ms. Claudia Bryant never revealed to her children that she did not complete her high school education.  Dr. Bryant would go on to graduate second in his class from Mays High School in Goulds.  After graduation from high school, Dr. Bryant continued and finished his education at Florida A&M University (FAMU) in 1961.  After graduation from FAMU, he served as an officer in the United States Army. While in the Army, he endured many hardships and experienced racial inequality. Dr. Bryant used military benefits to further his education. He graduated from Howard University’s School of Dentistry.  Dr. Bryant remained involved in both universities’ alumni associations.  He served as FAMU Alumni Association’s Chapter President and the Northeast Regional Vice President, before he became the president of the Ossining Howard University alumni branch where he began a sickle cell anemia screening project that reached over 1,200 individuals.

Inducted March 2015

Mr. William “Bill” Bynum serves as Chief Executive Officer and President at Hope Community Credit Union and Hope Enterprise Corporation. Mr. Bynum is responsible for the strategic direction of Enterprise Corporation of the Delta and its affiliate companies. He has eighteen years of experience with some of the country's leading development finance and rural development finance programs. For three decades, Bill has worked to advance economic opportunity for disenfranchised populations. He began his professional career by helping to establish Self-Help, a pioneer in the development finance industry, and later built nationally recognized programs at the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center. He moved to Jackson in 1994 to become the founding CEO of the Enterprise Corporation of the Delta and in 1995 organized Hope Credit Union.

Today HOPE (Hope Enterprise Corporation/Hope Credit Union) is a regional community development financial institution, intermediary, and policy center that provides and promotes responsible financial services and related assistance for entrepreneurs, home buyers, and community development projects in distressed communities across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Bill has advised Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama on community development, small business, and financial service matters, serving for ten years as a presidential appointee and chairman of the Treasury Department's Community Development Advisory Board.

He has been Vice Chairman of Consumer Advisory Board at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau since September 13, 2012.

Mr. Bynum serves as Director at AmSouth Community Development Corporation, Regions Bank Community Development Corporation, the Compatible Ventures Group, Corporation for Enterprise Development, Hope Community Credit Union, the New Markets Equity Fund and Southern Development Bancorporation. He served on the board of the North Carolina Technological Development Authority, a state-sponsored venture capital fund. He serves on the boards of Foundation for the Mid South, Mississippi Childrens Museum, Partners for the Common Good, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, on the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission, and is Chairman of the President Community Development Advisory Board.

Mr. Bynum is Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and was named 2002 National Supporter of Entrepreneurship by Ernst & Young and the Kauffman Foundation, and the 2007 Annie Vamper Award recipient by the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions. Mr. Bynum is University of North Carolina graduate.

Inducted August 2016

Robert L. Coleman, Jr., is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University, Mr. Coleman worked for 13 years as a professional engineer before becoming employed by the U. S. Government Office of Personnel Management, where he served for 35 years until retirement.

Mr. Coleman contributed to the credit union movement in a number of positions including President/CEO at Northwest Baptist Church FCU and Interim President/CEO of Waterfront Federal Credit Union. He was instrumental in establishing the Youth Outreach Association at the Northwest Baptist FCU and served as Chair of the Youth Advisory Committee of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions.  He was the 2000 recipient for the Annie Vamper Helping Hands Award from the National Federation for Community Development Credit Unions.

In 1958, Mount Zion Baptist Church, one of Seattle’s oldest African-American churches, set up a credit union to serve members of its congregation. The idea was that a church-based lender could better serve church members. At the time, many African Americans had trouble doing business with traditional banks and credit unions, due to racism or lack of credit or both.

On Monday, September 1, 2015, the Board of Directors and CEO of Northwest Baptist Federal Credit Union made a decision to pursue a merger opportunity with Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union (SMCU), another local not‐for-profit financial cooperative headquartered in Downtown Seattle. The decision to merge with SMCU was made in an effort to provide a significant expansion in services and facilities to our members.   Robert Coleman relocated to SMCU’s Downtown Seattle Headquarters.

In the nearly 50 years since then, the credit union strayed very little from its historical mission…offering a handful of products, primarily savings accounts, auto, and home equity loans, to members of Mount Zion and the surrounding community in Seattle’s Central District.

Inducted February 2016

Dr. Birdex Copeland, President, is retired from Grambling State University.  Prior to his retirement, he was a teacher and administrator for thirty-four years.  He served as Head of the Department of Sociology and the Dean of the School of Social Work.  Dr. Copeland holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Grambling State University, a Master of Social Work degree from Atlanta University, and the Doctor of Philosophy from Kansas State University.  He is Dean Emeritus of the School of Social Work, Grambling State University.

He is also a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shreveport Federal Credit Union, Chairman of the Grambling Legends Square Taxing District, a member of the Grambling Economic Development Council, a former City Councilman, and a Deacon of the Mount Olive Baptist Church of Grambling.

Dr. Copeland has served the credit union movement as a volunteer for over 40 years.  He considers his efforts toward the “people helping people” emphasis in the credit union movement as an extension of his professional role as a social worker.  Serving the “underserved” is an important mission.

A visionary and a leader, Dr. Copeland, led the credit union as it adopted a successful Community Development Strategy serving Low to Moderate Income people across two of the most distressed states, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Dr. Copeland is a huge advocate for the credit union movement and a true believer that a board must be trained, must be knowledgeable of credit union compliance and current events and must plan for the future.

Married to Lolita Collins-Copeland, Dr. Copeland is the father of two children and grandfather of two.

Inducted February 2016​

Retired President/CEO of World Council of Credit Unions. Under Crear’s leadership, WOCCU significantly expanded not only its membership but also its influence in credit union development worldwide.

WOCCU launched development programs in Ethiopia, Haiti, Peru, and other countries, as well as seeing its development program in Afghanistan grow significantly. During his tenure, WOCCU convened its first technical congresses to train credit union managers in Africa, Latin America, and the South Pacific.

WOCCU also launched the European Network of Credit Unions, the International Credit Union Regulators’ Network and the Global Women’s Leadership Network, a peer-to-peer and educational network that brings together women credit union leaders from both developed and developing countries.

In his six years at WOCCU’s helm, the organization successfully lobbied on behalf of member organizations in Costa Rica, Poland, and other countries, as well as helped foster the passage of credit union legislation in Kenya and Malawi. The organization also represented the global credit union movement before the United Nations, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the International Accounting Standards Board and other international monetary organizations, successfully making the case for proper regulatory oversight on behalf of credit unions worldwide.

Prior to joining WOCCU, Crear was CUNA’s executive vice president of external relations and, before that, executive vice president and the chief operating officer responsible for daily operations of the Madison, WI offices. In his career, he is credited with organizing 23 credit unions in his home state of Michigan and served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut and Indiana Credit Union Leagues.

In 2008, the Foundation for Polish Credit Unions, part of the Polish credit union system, awarded Crear the Feniks Prize, the Polish system’s most prestigious award, for WOCCU’s work helping strengthen credit unions in Eastern Europe. In 2007, he earned the Michigan Credit Union League’s (MCUL) Distinguished Service Award and was inducted into the MCUL Hall of Fame. In 2006, the Consumer Federation of America awarded him the Esther Peterson Consumer Service Award.

Crear also received the African-American Credit Union Lifetime Achievement Award, which was subsequently named after him, and a college scholarship was established in his name. He was inducted into both the Credit Union Executives Society (CUES) Hall of Fame and the Cooperative Development Foundation Hall of Fame and received the National Credit Union Foundation Herb Wegner Lifetime Achievement Award, the U.S. credit union movement’s highest honor.

Inducted March 2024

In 2001, Maurice joined the team at American Spirit FCU, a 32-million-dollar credit union headquartered in Newark, DE. He was named American Spirit’s CEO in 2003. Under his leadership, American Spirit grew to $78 million in assets and expanded into the under-served area of Newark, Middletown and Dover, Delaware. American Spirit has been recognized as one of the top credit unions in the United States and received a Five-Star rating from Bauer Financial for its financial strength. 

Maurice has over 30 years of operational leadership in the financial industry with a proven record in building diverse teams to support business growth while leading changes to drive organizational peak performance. 

Maurice holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a minor in Business Management from Thomas College in Waterville, Maine. In 2002 he received the Dale Carnegie Highest Award for Achievement and the AACUC Chairman’s award in 2016. 

Maurice spent many years as an active supporter of credit unions throughout Delaware and the surrounding states, which demonstrates his dedication and commitment to the credit union industry.  

He currently serves on the following boards: Member Business Financial Service CUSO, AACUC Eastern Regional Chapter, Cooperative Credit Union Association. 

Inducted February 2023

Since November 2021, Carla Decker is Chief Operating Officer of IDB Global Federal Credit Union - a $700+ million, not-for-profit, financial service cooperative owned by over 10,000 members of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Inter-American Investment Corporation (IDB Invest). Residing on six continents and over 75 countries, the members (who form the IDB Community) seek to promote peace and reduce poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean through economic and social development. 

For the previous two decades, Carla served as President & Chief Executive Officer of DC Federal Credit Union. Under her leadership, the $80 million DC Credit Union expanded its service area and refocused its mission to become a national leader in financial inclusion and community development. Carla’s immigrant experience informed and energized DC Credit Union’s initiatives to address and advocate for the financial well-being of the local Hispanic community. For that work, Carla was named one of the 100 Most Influential People to the Hispanic Community by “El Tiempo Latino”.  

Carla is Chair of the Board of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA/CLUSA).  She represents NCBA/CLUSA, and the U.S. cooperative movement, to Cooperatives of the Americas, the regional body of the International Cooperative Alliance.  

She holds a master’s degree in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University in Virginia.  

Inducted March 2017

Isaac B. Dickson Jr., a native of Montgomery, AL, has been a resident of Spartanburg, SC since 1981. He spent nearly 30 years in the temporary employment industry as Vice President of The Hiring Authority, Inc. Professional memberships include the Society of Human Resource Management, Spartanburg Human Resource Association and the SC Association of Personnel Services.

Currently, Isaac is the Director of Marketing for Atchison Transportation Service, a full-service ground transportation service. In 1991, he was elected to the Board of Carolina Foothills Federal Credit Union in Spartanburg, SC.  Later in 2004, he was elected as the Board Chairman. Isaac is the first African American to be elected to the Board.

Isaac’s leadership has been instrumental in creating a Board that represents the diversity of the membership including age, race, and gender. Isaac served as the Chairman of the South Carolina Credit Union League’s Diversity Committee and as a League Board member.

Isaac is also a founding member of the African-American Credit Union Coalition, serving as its first Secretary.

Other community activities include:

• Isaac is a graduate of Livingstone College and is married with one son.
• Member One Spartanburg Entrepreneurial Action Team
• Member Transitional Living Advisory Board Hope Center for Children
• Men’s Bible study / Fellowship Ministry
• Member Sparkle City Transparent Men, an interdenominational
• Member Board Habitat for Humanity
• President Kiwanis Club of Spartanburg
• Board member SC Workforce Initiative Board
• Chairman Board of Deacons St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church

Inducted February 2023

Melinda Edmunds is President/CEO of the Patent and Trademark Office Federal Credit Union headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.  With more than 30 years of credit union experience, her dedication, volunteerism, and leadership in the credit union movement continues to progress.  She was a previous board member of AACUC for ten years and led the Membership Committee for several years.   She is currently a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor.   Edmunds earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.   

Inducted March 2017

Melvin R. Edwards is known throughout the Caribbean Region and internationally for his outstanding contributions to enabling families and communities of low and average means to access affordable finance and to gain ownership of democratically controlled financial institutions.

Mr. Edwards is a devoted credit unionist and a former President (1995-1999) and Director (1991-2009) of the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions (CCCU). In July 2007, he was elected Chairman/President of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) and remains the first Caribbean national to serve in this esteemed position. In 2009, his completion of 2 terms as the WOCCU Chairman was the culmination of 11 unbroken years as a WOCCU Board Director having previously served as Vice Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary.

He led WOCCU with distinction, resulting in several strategic breakthroughs, increased visibility and strengthening as the global trade association and development agency for credit unions worldwide. He has lobbied Government leaders in Europe, Australia, Africa, North, Central and South America, and the Caribbean to implement enabling policies and standards-based legislative frameworks and to improve trade facilitation so that credit unions, co-operatives and small businesses can expand and flourish. The International Consumer Protection Principles for Credit Unions were approved under his lead as WOCCU Chair.

In 2009, he earned the Certified Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) and the International CUDE (I-CUDE) designations, and in 2010 he introduced the Caribbean Development Education (CaribDE) Program to the Caribbean region. CaribDE focuses on empowering the human capital of the sector by raising the bar of knowledge, skills and passion required for tomorrow’s leaders to address developmental and managerial issues with competence. After six years of existence, 24 programs have been held across seven Caribbean countries and 763 persons from 21 countries (including Canada, the USA, Haiti and Kenya) have been certified as Caribbean Development Educators. Since 2013, CaribDE has been partnering with the USDE and the ACCUC in supporting the Africa DE program. In June 2017, CaribDE, in partnership with the Canadian Credit Union Association and St. Mary’s University, will be staging the first-ever Canada DE Program in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

As the Managing Director of Development Co-operators Incorporated – a Management, Finance and Competitiveness Consultancy, Edwards has successfully implemented several regional development initiatives on behalf of multilateral organizations including the World Bank, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the European Union and the Inter-American Development Bank. Mr. Edwards has held four Chief of Party positions with international development organizations managing major multi-country, private and public sector economic competitiveness initiatives that have benefited the Caribbean.

For his outstanding works in eco-systems transformation, access to finance and policy advocacy for the Caribbean, Edwards has been honored by the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF), Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions (CCCU), CUNA Caribbean Insurance Society, the Eastern Caribbean Organisation of Development Foundations (ECODEF) and the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League.

In 2013 he received the Distinguished Services Award (DSA) from WOCCU, for his lifetime of services to financial and other co-operatives worldwide and in 2014, in recognition of his exemplary work in development education, the United States Development Education (USDE) Program presented Mr. Edwards with the 2014 Individual Achievement Award. The Melvin Edwards Excellence Award established by the St. Kitts Co-operative Credit Union, has rewarded primary school students in his homeland for excellent test performances over the past seven years and Mr. Edwards has made personal donations to support more children with their educational goals.

Melvin Edwards is a graduate of the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill), the University of Wales (Swansea) and the Coady International Institute (Nova Scotia) and has authored numerous published articles and papers, drafted State policies, harmonized legislation for Caribbean jurisdictions and produced technical manuals on MSMEs, microfinance, credit unions and business associations. Residing in St. Lucia, he is married and is a father of four.

Inducted July 2023

Delores Glover is currently serving as chair of the Supervisory Committee of the Florida A&M University Federal Credit Union and has served on the committee for over 16 years. Ms. Glover recently returned to Florida A&M University (FAMU) after over 31 years with the University, of which she served in various areas. Ms. Glover created a new organizational approach to succession at FAMUFCU, and collaborated with NCUA, community leaders, state and local government to develop an impactful partnership that strengthens the opportunity for greater success. Ms. Glover is the founder of the recently established Historically Black Credit Union Foundation and managed $142 M in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding for the University, Title III, Part B and F. Ms. Glover assisted the University in acquiring $126M in capital finance to build student dormitories. Ms. Glover recommended changes to the reauthorization of the Higher Education act that were approved and adopted by TMCF, UNCF and NAFEO.  

Inducted July 2023

Anthony R. Grant was a proud credit union member for more than 22 years, with SRP Federal Credit Union as his primary financial institution for more than 18 years. He faithfully served SRP as a volunteer for 17 years, including the Board of Directors, Credit Committee, and Finance Committee.  

His professional career included over 19 years of service at the Savannah River Site, where he handled multiple assignments. He was Manager, Contracts, Capital ,and Travel Accounting with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. Mr. Grant applied the lessons learned from his varied experiences to his service as SRP board member. His knowledge and leadership skills were invaluable as the board sought to establish policies that would lead the credit union into the millennium during his tenure. Mr. Grant believed, “the opportunity to serve on the SRP Federal Credit Union Board of Directors representing this great membership is truly a rewarding experience.”  

Mr. Grant made civic involvement a priority, which included serving the African-American Credit Union Coalition between 2000-2010 and leading multiple committees for the South Caroline State University National Alumni Association. 

Mr. Grant was born and raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He was a graduate of South Carolina State University and received his MBA from Nova Southeastern University.

Inducted March 2015

Michael Hale, a U.S. Army veteran, has been devoted to the credit union movement since 1975.

He is a founding member of the African-American Credit Union Coalition and served as the Coalition’s 1st official Chairman.

Mr. Hale served on the Board of the Credit Union Executive Society (CUES) where he served diligently for a number of years. He served on the National Association of Federal Credit Unions Regulatory Affairs Committee, the National Federation of Community Development Credit Union’s Capitalization Program Committee and the Arizona Credit Union League’s Boards as well. Mr. Hale is also a member of the Filene Research Institute Council.

Mr. Hale served as CEO of Andrew’s Airforce Base FCU in Suitland, MD. The credit union grew to over $700 million in assets and expanded into underserved areas of Washington, DC under his leadership.

Inducted August 2015

Few people in the credit union movement have ever heard of Clarence Hall, Jr., Issaquena County and the credit union he founded 44 years ago.

Clarence Hall, Jr. (born 1924) was born raised and continues to live in Issaquena County in the Mississippi Delta. His ancestors were slaves and his parents grew up on a plantation. His mother passed away when he was only 11 years old.

Working in the fields most days, Clarence was unable to attend school very often. However, he brought his books home and read them at night by the light of a kerosene lamp. This inspired his travel to Washington, D..later in life to seek funding for an early childhood development program, known today as Head Start.

After hearing Clarence’s presentation, Senator Bobby Kennedy replied: “I have sympathy for the cause Mr. Hall, but YOU understand and know. I have never suffered for anything a day in my life.”

Despite his limited formal education, Clarence served on the Board of the Delta Area School District and currently serves as President of Western Line School Board. He strongly encouraged and promoted education in the county for all children. His daughter has four degrees and is the assistant principal at an elementary school in the Laurel Mississippi School District.

Clarence volunteered for service in the US Army where he served for 5 years during WWII. For three of those years, he served in the European Theater. After returning home, he spent four years in Agriculture School at Delta College. He eventually acquired 66 acres of land that he farmed for a living.

In 1957, Clarence was the first person in Issaquena County to pay the poll tax to be eligible to vote. He appeared before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Department of Justice to discuss abolishing the poll tax and literacy test as conditions to vote. During that time, only 5 out of 1,081 blacks were registered to vote. However, 100% of white residents in Issaquena County were registered.

As an Issaquena County native, Clarence made some of the first inquiries into an NAACP lawsuit against the Issaquena County Board of Education for the suspension of students wearing pro‐SNCC materials in 1965. Following the ruling in Blackwell v. Issaquena that black students in Issaquena and Sharkey Counties could not be prohibited from attending white schools, Clarence became a leader in registering black students for historically white public schools.

He was fired from his job at Atkin Saw Mill when he went to Washington to seek a grant for the Child Development Group of MS, the forerunner of the Headstart program. He serves on the Board of Directors.  He fought to have the county and Congressional districts redrawn to allow blacks to be elected to public office, including the Issaquena County Board of Supervisors.

Clarence was also active in a number of local chapters of important rights organizations. He worked as Project Manager for the Delta Ministry, part of the National Council of the Church of Christ. He was particularly vital as an administrative assistant to the Freedom City project beginning in 1966, an affordable housing initiative that eventually failed.

Hall served as a key mover in implementing the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA). For 15 years, he was an Outreach Worker and Job Placement Specialist for the Mississippi Delta Council for Farm Workers. Clarence was forced to sue the State of Mississippi for denying blacks the right to obtain charters and set‐up non‐profit organizations.

In 1969, at the age of 45 – Clarence Chartered the Issaquena County FCU. Sitting along the Mississippi River just north of Vicksburg, Issaquena is the smallest county in the state.  After the end of the Civil War, Issaquena County had the highest concentration of slaves in the nation. The county had approximately 12,000 residents, 95% of which were slaves. The other 5% were slave owners and their families.

The county population has decreased dramatically and steadily over the years. Since the chartering of the credit union in 1969, the population, which is the credit union’s field of membership, has decreased by 49%. Since 2000, the population decreased 39%. Today, there are fewer than 1,400 residents living in slightly more than 500 housing units.

Depending on the definition of poor, Issaquena is the 2nd poorest county in the nation. Over 45% of the county’s residents are living below poverty level. Per capita income is $10,581.  Issaquena County FCU is the only financial institution for low income residents of the county.

There are no pawn shops, payday lenders, or finance companies. There is a bank branch where the credit union deposits money and members may cash their checks. Members obtaining loans at the credit union generally do not qualify for loans from the bank branch.

Because he knows and understands the people, for 44 Years, Clarence has served not only as Chairman of the Board, but also as President/CEO of the credit union. The NCUA has permitted Clarence to serve in both roles. The credit union simply would not be there without his leadership, commitment and vision.

For the first 36 years, Clarence did not receive a single dime for his service. During 44 years of making loans, the credit union has charged off less than $4,000 and never had as much as a penny come up missing.  Issaquena County FCU – Last CU in MS to go on a computer system

In 2009, Clarence’s wife of 58 years passed away. His son, Clarence III, was being groomed to take over the credit union and he eventually talked his dad into going off the manual system. Unfortunately, the younger Clarence passed away in October, 2009 prior to the credit union conversion at year end. With the League’s assistance, the credit union still converted to a data processing system at the end of the year.

Then in early in 2010, Ora Lee Williams, the credit union’s bookkeeper for over 30 years also passed away. This would have been the end of most small credit unions, but Mr. Hall kept the credit union alive.

At the age of 89, Clarence still performs his roles as Chairman and CEO of the Issaque-na County FCU. The international proverb of the C.U.D.E program is exactly what Clarence has sought to achiever in Issaquena County.  “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.“

The success of the Issaquena County FCU comes from Clarence Hall’s knowledge of those he serves, and his philosophy: “Helping People Help Themselves.”

Throughout his life, Clarence Hall has been a dedicated servant to his God, his Country, his Church, his Family and fellow Mankind. He knows and understands suffering. In a variety of ways, he has dedicated his life to providing people an opportunity to improve their own well‐being!

Inducted February 2023

Todd M. Harper was nominated to serve on the NCUA Board on February 6, 2019. The U.S. Senate confirmed him on March 14, 2019, and he was sworn in as a member of the NCUA Board on April 8, 2019. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., designated him as the NCUA’s twelfth Chairman on January 20, 2021. 

As NCUA Board Chairman, Mr. Harper serves as a voting member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council and represents the NCUA on the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council and the Financial and Banking Information Infrastructure Committee. 

Prior to joining the NCUA Board, Mr. Harper served as director of the agency’s Office of Public and Congressional Affairs and chief policy advisor to former Chairmen Debbie Matz and Rick Metsger. He is the first member of the NCUA’s staff to become an NCUA Board Member and Chairman. 

Mr. Harper previously worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as staff director for the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises and as legislative director and senior legislative assistant to former Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pennsylvania). In these roles, he contributed to every major financial services law, from the enactment of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act in 1999 through the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010. 

During the Great Recession, Mr. Harper coordinated the first congressional hearing to explore the creation of a Temporary Corporate Credit Union Stabilization Fund. He also spearheaded staff efforts in the U.S. House to secure enactment of a law to lower the costs of managing both the Corporate Stabilization Fund and the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. 

Mr. Harper led staff negotiations over several sections of the Dodd-Frank Act, including the Kanjorski amendment to empower regulators to preemptively rein in and break up “too-big-to-fail” institutions and proposals to enhance the powers of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He also developed the legislative framework for the bill that created the Federal Insurance Office to monitor domestic and international insurance issues. 

Mr. Harper holds an undergraduate degree in business analysis from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a graduate degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. 

Inducted August 2016

Bob retired in 2011 after 20 years as the President and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union. Born in Boston, Bob began his banking career in Los Angeles where he held senior positions with Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, and the Lockheed Federal Credit Union.  When Bob and his wife moved from Pasadena, California to Seattle in 1992, they were very excited about their new life.

​The move to Seattle turned out to be an excellent decision. Bob was recognized as Credit Union Executive of the year by the Credit Union Executives Society in 2003 and in 2004 he was added to the Credit Union Society’s hall of fame. During his career as SMCU CEO, he also served as Chairman of the Washington Credit Union League, Chairman of the Corporate Credit Union, Wescorp, and Chairman of the African American Credit Union Coalition.

In addition to his credit union career, Bob supported his community as a Seattle Police Department Reserve Officer from1994 until his retirement from SPD in 2015. He had been a patrol officer in SPD’s Gang Unit for 14 years. Previously he had patrolled for 10 years as a LA County Reserve Deputy Sheriff. Though retired as a patrol officer, Bob remains as a Tenor Drummer in the Police Department’s Pipes and Drums Band.

Bob currently serves as a Trustee and member of the Finance Committee for the $2Billion Seattle City Employees Retirement System. He is a board member for The Breakfast Group, an organization dedicated to keeping high school African American boys on the right path through an emphasis in education and social responsibility.

Bob has earned a BA in Mathematics and a MBA in Banking. After college, Bob felt the next step was to fulfill his military service. Bob joined the Marine Corps and graduated from Officer Candidate School as a 2nd Lieutenant.  After graduation, Bob was assigned to language school for nine months to learn Vietnamese.  Before beginning his overseas tour, he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. He returned to the United States in 1971 and began his banking career. After his three years of active duty, Bob joined a Marine Corps Reserve Unit in Los Angeles and was promoted to Captain before ending his military career in 1979.

Bob and his wife live in Seattle and have four adult children and ten grandchildren. Bob’s wife is also a retired Credit Union Executive and they love to cruise and travel both nationally and internationally. When not travelling and spending quality time with their grandkids, they enjoy bike riding, old cars, and motorcycle touring.

Inducted August 2017

Bert J. Hash, Jr., is the retired President and CEO of the Municipal Employees Credit Union of Baltimore (MECU), Inc., a position he held from December 1996 until June 2014. Mr. Hash was a seasoned financial services executive with over 44 years of experience in managing various aspects of banking and financial services. Before retiring from MECU, Bert worked for Equitable Bank for 15 years and Provident Bank of Maryland for 12 years.

Bert Hash received the Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and was inducted into the AACUC Hall of Fame in 2017.

Inducted August 2015

Rita L. Haynes retired as CEO of Faith Community United Credit Union (FCUCU) in Cleveland, Ohio after serving the credit union as a director with many volunteer duties from 1958 to May 2011. Asset of the fledging Mt. Sinai Baptist Church Credit union when she and her husband, James, volunteered to help were less than $1,000.00. Upon her departure as CEO in 2011 assets were over 10 Million dollars owned by over 5 thousand members.

​Faith Community United Credit Union transitioned from a single church charter to a community development credit union in 1990 positioning it to have a paid staff and serve the entire county including the low income south side of Cleveland where all the banks had fled and payday lending had set up shop. Partnering with WECO they were successful in acquiring a modern bank branch building with ATM access and offer full service six days a week.

She credits God for giving her wisdom to seek out partnerships and collaborate with larger organizations such as the Cleveland Chapter, Ohio CU League, Inner City Association of Minority Credit Unions, National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, WECO, CUNA, AACUC, NAACP and Urban League.

Serving as the first Faith based Credit Union chairman of NFCDCU in 1992 positioned her for election on the national scene. She was elected to the Federation board as alternate in 1992 and served as a director until 2008. Rita led the board as chair from 2001 to 2006 during which time they pioneered IDAs, VISTAs, CDFI Fund, The Capitalization Fund, Small Business Partnership and accredited school in partnership with Southern New Hampshire University and CUNA. She was in the first graduating class.

In Ohio she served as director pioneering the Ohio CU Foundation and has the distinction of having the small credit union program in Ohio branded The Haynes Circle upon her retirement.

AACUC honored her in 2005 with the Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement award. The CUNA Foundation’s Herb Wagner Award in 2008 highlighted her “Grace Loan” pay-day loan alternatives products.

Rita and James are blessed to have been married for 58 years. Their daughter Jama, MBA, is COO at FCUCU and Spelman College Alumni Chair. Son James is employed at USPO. His daughter, Dr. Lateira Haynes teaches in L.A. and son James III graduated as a welder.

"To GOD be the glory for the things he has done."

Inducted August 2022

Pamelya Herndon currently serves in the New Mexico House of Representatives as the strong voice for the residents of House District 28 in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights. She also serves as the President/CEO of the
KWH Law Center for Social Justice and Change, a nonprofit law center focused
on providing access to justice for low and medium-income individuals with an emphasis on advocating for the rights of women, children, and families with children. Prior to opening KWH Law Center, Pamelya served as a Senior Trial Attorney with the Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, as an Assistant Attorney General for New Mexico and as a Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico General Services Department. Pamelya is a graduate of the Howard University School of Business and the University of Texas School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the states of Colorado and New Mexico and before the United States Supreme Court. Pamelya is also licensed as a Certified Public Accountant.

Pamelya is a 2019-2021 W.K. Kellogg Fellow. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors of U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union for twelve years. During her term on the Board, she has been a strong advocate for Members of Modest Means. Pamelya was instrumental in the establishment of a Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) Program known as CU SAFE created to provide access to financial resources, at reasonable rate, for survivors of domestic violence.

Pamelya serves as the First Vice President of the NAACP, Albuquerque Branch, and as the Health Chair for the New Mexico State Conference of Branches of the NAACP. She also serves as a member of the Council of the Civil Rights and Social Justice Section of the American Bar Association (ABA), and as an appointed member of the ABA Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

As a part of her work with KWH Law Center, Pamelya has helped people of color have access to financial resources during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her work focused on helping ensure that no family was evicted from their home during the pandemic or loss access to utilities, as a result of a reduction in pay of loss of employment.

Recognizing that women of color are often not paid fairly as evidenced by Black Women’s Equal Pay Day occurring eight months after the end of the year; Native Women’s Equal Pay occurring nine months after the end of the year and Latina Women’s Equal Pay Day occurring ten months after the end of the year, Pamelya has been a champion of equal pay for women. She was a strong advocate for the Fair Pay for Women Act that became law in New Mexico in 2017.

Pamelya is the 2021 recipient of the Everyday Hero Award from the Office of African American Affairs, and she was awarded the Purple Ribbon Award in 2020 for her work in helping to provide financial resources for survivors of domestic violence. In addition, Pamelya has been recognized as the Public Lawyer of the Year by the Public Law Section of the New Mexico State Bar, as the Lawyer of the Year by the Albuquerque Bar Association and she has been featured in Essence Magazine, an international publication focused on the outstanding accomplishments of African American women. Pamelya occasionally hosts community focused programs on KUNM Public Radio, 89.9.FM, a National Public Radio (NPR) Affiliate in Albuquerque, NM.

Inducted July 2023

Rodney E. Hood currently serves as a Board Member for the National Credit Union Administration.  

Immediately prior to rejoining the NCUA Board in 2019 as Chairman, Mr. Hood served as a corporate responsibility manager for JPMorgan Chase, managing national partnerships with non-profit organizations, financial regulators, and community stakeholders to promote financial inclusion and shared prosperity in underserved communities throughout the United States.

Mr. Hood served as a member of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Visitors and as member of the UNC School of Arts Board of Trustees. He also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the North Carolina Museum of Art and as a member of the Board of Governors for the University of North Carolina College System.

Mr. Hood's professional awards include being named one of the “40 Young Leaders Under the Age of 40” by the Triangle Business Journal in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is also the first recipient of the “Dream Award,” an award given by the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation to honor individuals who have exhibited an outstanding commitment to affordable housing. 

Inducted March 2018

Hubert H. Hoosman, Jr. is the President of H&H Brokerage Group (Commercial), and Partner of Haywood Hoosman Realty (Residential). Hubert has been in the Credit Union Movement for over 31 years, he spent 19 of the years as President /CEO of Vantage Credit Union. During his tenure the credit union grew from 192 million to 718 million in assets. A national and international speaker for credit unions with topics including Board Development, Strategic Planning for Credit Unions, Fund Development and Building Teams that Inspire Loyalty and Trust. Hubert has been inducted in the Missouri Credit Union Hall of Fame, received the Herb Wagner Award and the Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award. Hubert has been a member of WOOCU, CUES, the Credit Union National Foundation and the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions. He is a founding Board Member for the AACUC.

Inducted March 2015

Robert L. Jackson is a lifelong resident of Quitman County and has been employed with Quitman County Development Organization, Inc. (QCDO), since March 1977, of which he has served as the Chief Executive Officer since 1987. He also helped found the First Delta Federal Credit Union in 1981 and in 2009 it merged with the Shreveport Federal Credit Union serving the North Mississippi Delta. Shreveport total assets are approaching $105 million dollars to date. He has over 36 years of rural community economic development and philanthropic experience in rural Mississippi and the Mid-South.

​Robert was elected to the Quitman County Board of Supervisors in 1987 after two unsuccessful attempts and served two terms until 1995. His first race was in 1979 two years after graduating from college. His slogan then as a young enterprising community servant was, “Old Enough to Know the Job, and Young Enough to Do it.” In November 2003, he was elected to the Mississippi State Senate, representing District 11, which includes Coahoma, Quitman, Tunica and Tate Counties. He serves on several committees including Chairman of the Executive Contingent Fund, Vice Chair of Labor, Appropriations, Energy, Ports and Marine Resources, Public Property, Agriculture and Business and Financial Institutions. He also serves as Treasurer for the MS Legislative Black Caucus.

He continues to serve on numerous non – profit boards of directors, both locally and regionally. Senator Jackson is a member of the board of Directors of Mississippi Action for Community Education (MACE), Foundation for the Mid-South, The Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services Center in Clarksdale, MS, and the Delta Burial Corporation (since 1996).

State Senator Jackson’s education includes a B.S. Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi and has done further studies at Delta State University and Antioch University of Yellow Stone, Ohio. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Member of Delta LISC Advisory Board, Stand UP for Rural America, NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, National Association of State Legislatures, and the Southern Legislative Conference.

In addition to being active in his community, Robert lends his leadership skills as an active member and Board of Deacon Ministry of Pleasant Hope Missionary Baptist Church of Lambert, MS, where he was born. He also takes advantage of volunteering opportunities. Robert is married to the former Gloria Richmond of Lambert of which they have a blended family of six (6) lovely children, Danielle, Nikara, Reginald, Lisa, Dametra and Zakiya.

Inducted August 2015

Shirley Jenkins has served as a member of MCU’s Board of Directors since 1983. Ms. Jenkins was the first female President in the Board’s history, as well as the Board Secretary for more than 30 years, a position she currently holds. Ms. Jenkins also served as the Legislative Chair for a number of years, working with legislative leaders regarding credit union issues. Ms. Jenkins was instrumental in implementing youth programs at MCU and serves on the Board of Trustees for employee pension plans.

After a long career in New York City service, Ms. Jenkins retired as a Director from Housing Preservation and Development in 1984. Ms. Jenkins was appointed to the National Directors Advisory Panel in 2006, and was inducted into the NYS Credit Union “Hall of Fame.” Ms. Jenkins was appointed to the New York Credit Union Foundation’s Board, and also is a founding member of the African-American Credit Union Coalition. Over the years, she has received many accolades and awards, including AACUC’s “Pete Crear Award.” Ms. Jenkins was also elected to the Credit Union Association of New York’s Board of Directors, representing credit unions with assets of more than $500,000. She has been involved in the community and political affairs for over 60 years and has received multiple honors in community service.
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A graduate of the New Paltz Teachers College and the NYU and Cornell School of Industrial Labor Relations, Ms. Jenkins has five children, and is a proud grandmother, great grandmother, and foster parent.

Inducted July 2023

Adrian S. Johnson has been a member of the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) since 2004. Adrian has served on the National Board since August 2015. In fact, he served as Chairman from August 2018 to August 2020 and led the AACUC in the Commitment to Change: Credit Unions Unite Against Racism Initiative with pledges over $1 million dollars. He has also served as Treasurer and Vice Chairman. He also co-chaired the Funding Development & Preservation Committee. In the past, Adrian has served as Co-Chair of the Internship Committee as well. He has also presented Asset/Liability Management at the AACUC National Conference. In addition, Adrian was a founding member of the AACUC - Eastern Regional Chapter which was established in December 2008, serving as parliamentarian. He has also served as vice president for the chapter. Adrian received the AACUC Board Chairman Award in 2014 for his loyal and dedicated to service to the organization.

Adrian is the Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for MECU Credit Union in Baltimore, MD. He has been CFO since April 2010. Adrian oversees Accounting/Finance, Financial Wellness, Retail Delivery, and Marketing and as a member of the Senior Leadership Team which develops and implements strategies for the organization. Adrian also keeps Management and the Board abreast of the economy. While Adrian has been with MECU since July 1997, he has been in the financial services industry since August 1978, and started his Accounting/Finance career in December 1983. He holds an AA degree in Business Administration from the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) in Maryland where he a part of the adjunct faculty. He also holds a BS degree in Accounting from the University of Baltimore and a MBA from Loyola University in Maryland. Adrian has also received the Certified Chief Executive (CCE) designation from the CUES CEO Institute. In 2007, Adrian graduated from the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) Leadership Class. Adrian has served on many boards in and around Baltimore City. A couple that stand out are CollegeBound Foundation, CCBC Male Student Success Initiative, and the Family Tree.

While Celebrating Black History Month at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) in 2021, Adrian was featured in the CCBC Alumni Spotlight. Adrian was recognized by the Baltimore Business Journal in June 2014 as being one of eight top CFOs in the region for their contributions to their companies. Adrian received the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award from CCBC in May 2013. In June 2013, he received the Icon Award from the Associated Black Charities (ABC) for community service and giving. Adrian received the Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC) – Central Maryland Jereleigh Archer Member of the Year Award in November 2012. He also received the Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC) International’s Robert J. Samuels Award in June 2011. In June 2010, Adrian received the National Academy Foundation “Finance Professional of the Year Award”.

Inducted March 2026

Carolyn Jordan is a seasoned credit union executive with over 40 years in the movement. As the Chief Growth Officer of Neighborhood Credit Union, she leads the strategic direction of e-commerce, digital banking, data analytics, marketing, product development, project management and advocacy. She currently serves as the Chapter President for the Texas Regional Chapter of the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) and is a 20+ year member of America’s Credit Unions Operations and Member Experience Council having also served as a past Chair. She is the President of the Neighborhood Credit Union Foundation and recently completed a three-year term as a member of the Consumer Depository Institutions Advisory Council for the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank.

Jordan’s career trajectory has seen her rise from entry-level positions to executive leadership, showcasing her adaptability and commitment to professional growth. She is passionate about empowering employees and members alike, aiming to help them achieve their dreams through inclusion and effective business strategies.

Jordan’s leadership has been recognized with awards such as being named to Dallas Business Journal’s inaugural class of C-Suite Leaders in 2024 and being honored as one of its 2023 Women in Technology. She holds a Master of Science in Business Analytics and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration graduating Magna Cum Laude from Texas A&M-Commerce. She also has specialized training in marketing through the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business.

Inducted February 2023

For American credit unions, which operate in one of the world’s most competitive, and metrics-driven industries, Lois Kitsch is the cooperative conscience. With 40 plus years of credit union leadership, she inspires credit union leaders to live the values of the credit union movement to best optimize our cooperative structure to create and enhance business opportunities.  For many years she served as the national program director of the National Credit Union Foundation’s Development Education program, which helps credit union leaders experience a transformational learning experience and maintain cooperative principles as the foundation of their cooperative business model. Beyond her years working for the Foundation, Lois is the Co-Founder of CU Difference aimed to work directly with credit union teams to heighten their awareness and passion for credit unions.  

Lois has worked with credit union leaders from six continents and more than 40 countries to help their movement leaders maximize the relationship between the credit union and its members.  She motivates people to change the way they operate their businesses and think about serving marginal markets. Lois is a natural facilitator, mentor and consensus builder, a well-known public speaker and a successful program leader. 

Lois has received many national and international awards including the Herb Wegner Award for Individual Achievement and Best Project, the Athena Award from the World Council of Credit Unions, the Life-Time Service award from both the Credit Union Development Education Program and the CUTE Foundation (Mindanao, Philippines), and the distinguished service award for ACCOSCA (continental trade association for Africa). Recently, Lois was added to the Women’s Hall of Fame for the American Credit Union Museum.  Lois also serves as the Chairperson of the African Cooperative Development Foundation.  In this role, she is collaborating with ACCOSCA to build the first ever state of the art training academy for African Credit Unions.   

Inducted August 2022

Tony Kitt is the Chief Executive Officer for Plexcity, A Cooperative Association. This cooperative provides Accounting and Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology services to credit union associations and small businesses across the United States. Plexcity’s focus is to reduce redundant activities and provide back office shared services with an eye on improving efficiency and effectiveness; reducing key person risk; and achieving economies of scale.

Mr. Kitt has an extensive background in leadership, financial management, and consumer payment systems. In addition to his role at Plexcity, he is on the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and is the Treasurer for the Greater Los Angeles Area Council, Boy Scouts of America providing leadership and mentorship to the organization’s professional and volunteer staff. From 2012 – 2014, Tony was Senior Vice President, Strategy, Innovation and Planning at the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues where he directed the Leagues’ strategic innovations and planning processes through oversight of existing business partnerships; new business initiatives; and internal-facing league support functions. Tony was also the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Western Corporate Federal Credit Union (WesCorp) from 2003 - 2012.

Prior to joining the credit union industry, Mr Kitt served as an Air Force Officer, and in his last military assignment he served as the Director, Financial Management and Comptroller for the newly created United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). In his 20-year military career, he held financial management staff and command positions at all levels in the Air Force. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2003.

Mr Kitt has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University, and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He’s also graduated from the Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College.

Inducted February 2025

Barbara J. Leonard (1947 – 2012) lived a life of service, compassion, and community. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Barbara’s path was one of quiet strength and purpose. After graduating from Girls Polytechnic in 1964, she earned her business degree from the University of Oregon, paving the way for a career defined by breaking barriers.

For over 30 years, Leonard worked at US West Communications, respected for her kindness, integrity, and expertise. When she joined Unitus Community Credit Union, it was a select employee group membership, but with Leonard’s dedication, it earned a community charter and thrived. During her two decades on the Board of Directors, she became its first woman chair — a historic milestone.

Leonard’s passion extended far beyond her career. As a devoted member of The Links, Incorporated – a national organization committed to advancing educational and cultural opportunities for African Americans – she helped raise over $500,000 in scholarships for young scholars. Her faith and commitment to education guided her at every step. Reflecting on her work, former Unitus President and CEO Pat Smith shared, “One of my fondest memories of Barbara was her tireless and creative efforts to fundraise for kids and education. She could be relentless, yet funny and authentic, when presenting an ‘ask’ for support. She always made you feel better after writing that check!”

Leonard passed away at 65, leaving a legacy not about titles, but about the lives she touched. In every role — wife, mother, leader, friend — she uplifted and inspired. Her light continues to guide all who knew her.

Inducted March 2018

Don W. Lewis has served as the President/CEO of Aberdeen Proving Ground FCU (APGFCU), for over 24 years. He became the 2nd President/CEO of the credit union in 1995 after holding various positions at the credit union.

Throughout his tenure, Don has led APGFCU to reach over a billion dollars in assets and with more than 125,000 members. APGFCU operates with the philosophy of “people helping people.” Members and
employees participate in and contribute generously to events every year.  More than 50 non-profit organizations are supported annually with time, talent and treasure including The Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation, Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna, Harford Family House, Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County, Meals on Wheels, SARC and many more.

Don stresses the importance of education and saving. Emphasis on education and financial independence is a primary mission at the credit union. In 2011, 80 percent of community outreach was dedicated to youth financial literacy programs. Nearly 430 sessions brought face-to-face instruction to more than 10,150 young people.

Don and the credit union have been recognized for many awards and accolades. He is credited as the driving force in APGFCU’s active community involvement, and as a visionary, continually guiding APGFCU into new areas of opportunity.

Don is also a senior pastor and founder of Covenant Living Fellowship (CLF) located in Randallstown Maryland. He has been married to Danielle Lewis, a retired registered nurse, and teacher, for over 44 years.  He is the father of Aaron, Nikia, and Kimira, and grandfather to Ehren.

Don has served on such boards as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Harford County, the Economic Advisory Board to Harford County, WEAA FM Radio Morgan State University’s Advisory Board, and the Economic Advisory Commission for the city of Aberdeen to name a few. He is a family man, visionary, pastor, businessman, and a worker towards the empowerment of communities.

Inducted August 2022

André A. Lucas is the Director of Compliance. Andre’s current responsibilities include an active involvement in consulting with affiliated credit unions on operational issues, policies and procedure development, and federal and state compliance issues. André also provides training in the areas of Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and Collections and conducts on-site BSA compliance testing for affiliated credit unions. 

 André began his credit union career as a Collection Officer with Pentagon Federal Credit Union in January 1984. In July 1986 he accepted the position of Collections Manager with CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union (formerly AMC FCU) in Alexandria, Virginia. During his twenty years with CommonWealth One FCU, André was one of the first elected officers for the Capital Area Collection Managers Roundtable Group; serving as the first Chairman from 1995 through 1998, Vice Chairman in 2000, and again as the Chairman in 2001 and 2002. 

Originally from Washington, DC, Andre graduated from Mackin High School and went on to serve three years active duty in the United States Navy. André currently holds CUNA’s Credit Union Compliance Expert (CUCE), and Bank Secrecy Act Compliance Specialist (BSACS) designations.  

Inducted March 2024

The first African American Chairwoman of the Indiana Credit Union League, Karen has served on this board since 2017. Her dedicated leadership spans the state, national, and international levels. 

She serves on multiple League committees, including the Stabilization Board of Trustees and Indiana Credit Union Foundation Board. Nationally, Karen chairs CUNA's Small Credit Union Committee. She represented the League in hurricane relief efforts in Dominica, earning recognition from the World Council of Credit Unions. In 2021, she received the League’s Global Good Award for her involvement in international projects. 

Karen has welcomed international visitors during League-hosted events, fostering global connections. She was instrumental in Indianapolis hosting the 2023 Midwest Small CU Conference and she hosts the University of Lending training at reduced rates for Indiana credit unions. She has also been featured in news articles and podcasts and has been a popular speaker at several national conferences.  

Leading her credit union, Karen achieved remarkable growth, increasing assets from $53 million to $96 million, adding over 1,000 members in her 9-year tenure. Highlights include rebranding, obtaining CDFI status, securing grants for member empowerment, opening branches, expanding field of membership, and launching member-centric products. Karen has transformed the organization, emphasizing a holistic approach and building strong community relationships. 

Inducted August 2022

Cathie Mahon has led Inclusiv since 2012, overseeing a period of dramatic growth and expansion of the organization and network. She is committed to the Inclusiv mission of promoting financial inclusion and building more inclusive economies through community owned and controlled financial institutions.

Mahon previously served as Deputy Commissioner at the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs where she started and led New York City’s Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE). NYC’s OFE was the first local government initiative in the nation with a mission aimed expressly at helping to educate, empower and protect low income residents to help them make the most of their financial resources. Mahon was a co-founder of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition and Fund and remains an active Board member.  Mahon has worked as a consultant on issues of community development, financial empowerment and asset building.  She was the founding coordinator of the Asset Funders Network and served as a lead researcher for the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program. She learned about credit unions and CDFIs first as an intern at Self Help Credit Union and then as a Program Officer and then Director of Policy and Program Development at Inclusiv. She has served on the Boards of the Lower East Side People’s FCU and Transfiguration Parish FCU. Ms. Mahon earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Duke University in Durham, NC and a Master’s of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Inducted August 2022

Marsha Majors is President/CEO of U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union headquartered in Albuquerque, where she oversees member assets in excess of $1B and directs the activities of 270 employees relating to the credit union’s mission, vision, values, and strategy. With more than 30 years of CU experience, she has developed a track record as a dynamic leader and CU development educator who has devoted her career to the credit union’s mission, to create a world where people matter more than numbers.  

Marsha is the primary advocate of U.S. Eagle’s brand culture, and during a diverse career, she has earned a reputation for providing skilled and practical guidance as a leader and recognized authority on empowering others. She has excelled at forging new pathways to success, through innovative strategies such as eliminating OD/NSF fees, serving the needs of cannibal businesses, and leveraging community partnerships. She is known for increasing and exceeding expectations, her expertise in process optimization, and her commitment to removing barriers to financial inclusion. Marsha has a commitment to diversity and inclusion, as seen in her advocacy for financial programs such as Members of Modest Means (MOMMs) and CU SAFE, the (Survivor Alliance for Financial Empowerment), providing an economic path to safety to support survivors of domestic violence. 

Out of her personal passion, she spearheaded U.S. Eagle’s first philanthropic committee.  Through this philanthropic effort, she expanded community impact and is currently leading dozens of community efforts to alleviate child hunger, increasing financial literacy, and providing essential resources to make a positive difference. 

She is an avid volunteer for multiple organizations, the African American Greater ABQ Chamber of Commerce, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, El Camino Academy STEM Charter School, FIS Advisory Council, CUNA Mutual Region Council, International Association of Women, the Global Women’s Leadership Network, NM Black Leadership Council, as well as her partnerships with Rio Grande Food Bank, Supportive Housing Coalition, and the League of Women Voters. 

For her many community efforts and contributions, Ms. Majors is listed repeatedly as a New Mexico Woman of Influence and a Top CEO.  Outside of the credit union, she enjoys life with her husband, two daughters and three grandchildren. 

Inducted August 2021

Dan McCue has 44 years of business experience, with 34 years in the credit union industry. Dan joined Alaska USA Federal Credit Union in 2009. As Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations, he oversees government and public relations, community involvement and engagement, financial education programs and Executive Director of the Alaska USA Foundation.  He achieved his Credit Union Development Education (CUDE) program designation In September 2019.

Dan is also committed to his work with non-profit organizations, focusing on further establishing ways to benefit the communities Alaska USA serves through fundraising efforts and membership development. Additionally, Dan assists with financial education efforts for children, teens, and young adults, helping to develop a lifetime of financial literacy.

Dan graduated from the University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas, with Bachelor of Arts degrees in business administration and economics. He resides in Anchorage, Alaska, with his wife Traci.

Inducted August 2019

Janet McDonald, CCUE, CUDE is a retired Senior Sales Market Manager for CUNA Mutual Group. She has worked with associations, leagues and credit unions, she establishes, strengthens and maintains relationships with credit union trade organizations across the U.S. McDonald developed and implemented marketing strategies that promoted the company's competitive financial services to the credit union industry.

​Prior to joining CUNA Mutual Group in January 2001, McDonald was Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and CUSO General Manager at Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union in West Lafayette, Ind., from August 1990 to January 2001. Janet began her credit union career in 1986 with Houston Police Federal Credit Union in Houston, Texas, where she was Executive Vice President. Prior to that, she was a top-producing mortgage loan officer with Savings of America in Houston.

Mrs. McDonald received the Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) designation with honors in 2009 and her Credit Union Development Educator designation in 2012. Her educational background includes completion of the Executive Development Program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 1997. She also attended Texas Tech University in her hometown of Lubbock, Texas. Janet is currently enrolled at Western Governors University and holds Life, Accident and Health insurance license in the state of Indiana.

Inducted February 2020

Michael Mercer is a statesman, visionary leader and distinguished supporter of the credit union and cooperative movements. He spent his career “connecting the dots” between credit unions, cooperatives, cultures and institutions all with the goal of improving the financial lives of working people. As the president and CEO of Georgia Credit Union Affiliates for over 35 years, he championed financial products and services that meet the needs of working-class members. For his contributions to the credit union movement, Mike was recognized as a recipient of the Herb Wegner Lifetime Achievement Award.

During his 43-year credit union career, Mike chaired the boards of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), AmericanAssociation of Credit Union Leagues and National Cooperative Bank (NCB). An advocate for credit unions, Mike is credited with securing the support of then Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich for the Credit Union Membership Access Act. The bill’s passage ensured the survival of the credit union movement after the Supreme Court ruled against a broader interpretation of the Federal Credit Union Act.

Mike was instrumental in the creation and implementation of the Poland-Georgia Credit Union Partnership Program in 1995. This unique mutual learning experience included operational, strategic and cultural sharing over more than two decades.The Poland-Georgia partnership became a model for other international league partnerships. For his leadership, Mike was awarded the “Order of the Knights Cross” in recognition of his contributions to the growth and development of the Polish Credit Union system. This is the highest Polish governmental award available to non-Polish citizens.

Inducted March 2015

For over forty-five years, Sheilah has been advancing the mission of the credit union movement, while increasing the economic viability of individuals, businesses, and communities. She’s dedicated her career to helping credit union boards, management, and staff provide excellent products and services to every member regardless of their economic background. She also worked to be an advocate for the underserved by bringing credit unions to be part of Bank On and secure millions for dollars in grant funding to provide financial access to small businesses and under-resourced communities.

Sheilah, a Certified Chief Executive (CCE), Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) as well as an International (South Africa) CUDE (I-CUDE). Sheilah is a co-founder of the African-American Credit Union Coalition, (AACUC). And has the distinction of being the longest serving board member of AACUC. She and a fellow CUDE started the financial literacy program for students at AACUC as their CUDE project. The Financial Reality Fair for the last 9 years, is an integral part of the AACUC conference.

Her passion is creating opportunities for small asset size credit unions to provide financial wellness to individuals, families, and communities. She was the CEO for 1st Choice Credit Union and Credit Union of Atlanta, both of which are still successfully thriving. She believes that integrity, respect, and urgency in solving member financial needs are the keys to building the trust for member engagement and credit union sustainability.

Some of her many recognitions include, being named one of the 100 most Influential African American Women in Atlanta, featured front page on the Atlanta Business Journal, proclaim an Outstanding Georgia Citizenship by the Georgia Secretary of State, Karen Handel, as a Goodwill Ambassador for Georgia, induction into AACUC Hall of Fame and honoree of the Pete Crear AACUC Lifetime Achievement award. She was honored to receive the prestigious City of Atlanta Phoenix Awards from two Mayors, the late honorable Mayor Maynard Jackson and former Mayor, Kasim Reed, for her deliberate initiatives of bringing financial access to the city of Atlanta Employees and their families and local communities. She also received a “League of her Own” recognition from the Atlanta Black Chamber League of Women.

She is a graduate Clayton State University Jonesboro GA with a BS of Business Administration.

Inducted August 2016

Albert Maurice Moody Sr. is the founder of the Caddo Parish Teachers Federal Credit Union where he retired after forty years as CEO/Treasurer. Mr. Moody retired from the credit union in 2003. Moody was not only a pioneer in the credit union industry but also an educator. He was the Assistant Dean of Men at Southern University in Baton Rouge and a four year commissioned officer in the United States Army. He retired from the Army Reserve as a Lt. Colonel.

Mr. Moody was employed by the Caddo Parish School Board for forty years as a teacher of mathematics at Central Colored High School and Booker T. Washington High School. He was the principal of Hollywood Elementary School and Bethune Junior-Senior High School. Prior to coming to Shreveport, he served as principal of Mulatto Bend Elementary School, West Baton Rouge Parish.

Inducted July 2023

Few careers in the financial services industry can match a 37-year career of creating circles of wealth for and within low- and moderate-income (LMI) households and communities at the same financial institution – and Jacqueline Moore’s 37 years at Faith Community United Credit Union is just that. Ms. Moore was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Faith Community United Credit Union (or “Faith”) in 2017. Faith was established in 1952 out of mounting concerns over disparate lending practices, and the organization subsequently received its Community Development Financial Institution (or CDFI) status from the U.S. Department of Treasury in 1993, making it the oldest CDFI based in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Ms. Moore began her career at Faith as a senior at Jane Adams Business Career High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Before becoming Faith’s President and CEO, Ms. Moore held positions as the organization’s Assistant Treasurer/Manager, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.    

Ms. Moore also oversees Faith’s annual operating budget of $1.5 million and manages its more than $18 million in assets. Her recent major accomplishments include leading during times of crisis.  She obtained a $1.8 million RRP grant from the CDFI to help members and staff have financial stability.  She also re-developed Faith’s Financial Literacy program helping parents and students’ re-structure financial goals.  The pandemic was a test of her strength, empathy, and leadership.  Faith Community never closed its doors.     

Ms. Moore graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Business Administration and Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. She has served on a variety of financial service industry and civic-related boards and committees over the years, and presently serves on the Ohio Credit Union League’s and Inclusiv’s Board of Directors.   

Inducted August 2019

For over 25 years, Ms. Nelson has volunteered for and served on Coastal’s Board of Directors, which she has chaired since 2012. Her passion, dedication, and leadership has guided Coastal through many innovative initiatives such as the development of Personal Teller Machines, the creation of the Coastal Credit Union Foundation and its award-winning Power of Sharing gala and, most recently, the launch of a new CUSO, Constellation Digital Partners.

Ms. Nelson’s volunteerism extends to other areas of the credit union movement as she has been an active participant in the Governmental Affairs Conference, League of IBM Credit Unions (LICU) and other industry groups. She has been quoted to say –

“As a volunteer, I am extremely proud of the product and service innovation we are delivering to our members, and the support we are providing to our communities. It clearly shows the spirit of the movement for not only helping those who trust us for financial services, but also helping to support the needs of our local communities to enrich the lives of many.”

​She has been recognized as the Lifetime Achievement Recipient for the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation in 2016 and in 2018 as the CU Times Trailblazer Awardee as Volunteer of the Year.

Ms. Nelson has also served or continues to serve on the boards of other area organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle and Dress for Success.

Inducted July 2023

Gary A. Officer is a seasoned social entrepreneur and Chief Executive known for innovative, value-driven public-private partnerships that remove barriers to community development. Gary is currently President & CEO of the Center for Workforce Inclusion as well as Founder & CEO of its sister innovation hub, CWI Labs. Gary previously served in senior executive positions at the Newseum and the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington DC. From 2006-2013, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer at Rebuilding Together, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based homeownership preservation non-profit, and fourth-largest remodeler. Under his leadership, Rebuilding Together grew operating income seven-fold and created award-winning partnerships with blue-chip corporate brands in support of the organization’s mission.  

Gary has served as President of the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF), the national foundation supporting credit union development in the United States. As an affiliate of the Credit Union National Association, NCUF promotes and manages credit union development and consumer savings programs on behalf of CUNA and the US credit union movement. The Foundation also manages the National Development Education Volunteer Program. During his three-year tenure, NCUF grew to a $370 million community investment fund that providing grants, loans and, secondary capital, to credit unions and related organizations throughout the United States.  

Gary earned a Bachelor of Arts (Hon) Political Science from the Manchester Metropolitan University and a Master of Science MSc (Econ) International Relations from the London School of Economics. In 2012, he completed the Advanced Management and Leadership Program (OAMLP) at the Said Business School at Oxford University. 

Inducted February 2023

George Ombado is Development Economist with a keen interest on strategic management and discourse that shapes the developing countries to attain financial inclusion and access He holds B.Com (Hons), M.A (Economics of Development from Erasmus University in the Netherlands) and Msc in Management from Strathclyde Business School, UK.

He has 17 years of experience supporting financial inclusion and access initiatives. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the African Confederation of Co-operative Saving and Credit Association (ACCOSCA), an institution that supports the development of co-operative financial institutions in Africa. In this role, he has spearheaded strategic planning for a number of financial co-operatives in Africa.

George serves as a Board Member of the Africa Co-perative Development Foundation (ACDF) and The CADASTA Foundation. He is also the Current Director of Africa Development Educators Program and holds an I–CUDE designation. He is a part of the Executive team providing leadership on a Project funded by IFAD in Tanzania, Malawi, and Ethiopia known as “Improving Rural Financial Inclusion through Financial Co-operatives” in partnership with the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada and the Irish League of Credit Unions Foundation. George has contributed to numerous financial publications, including in the International Co-operative Alliance Book: “The Capital Conundrum for Co-operatives” which was published and disseminated on October 2015.

Inducted March 2019

Ms. Owens currently services as Senior Vice President of Organizational Development and Capacity Building and is responsible for developing the African American Credit Union Initiative (AACUI) which focuses on supporting legacy MDI credit unions as they look towards sustainability and growth through membership expansion and building efficiencies through technology.

Pamela Owens has over 20 years of experience supporting community development credit unions delivery of products and services to underserved communities. Ms. Owens has accomplished this with special attention to innovative product development, training, and technical assistance.

Since 1998, a major focus of her work has been capacity building for small and faith-based credit unions. Her first assignment with Inclusiv, the CDCU Institute, successfully graduated eleven classes and trained more than 300 credit union professionals. Ms. Owens also developed and coordinated Inclusiv’s Each One, Teach Many financial literacy train-the-trainer programs. This national program was taught in more than forty states to over 1000 trainers. The trainers returned to their communities and taught to more than 25,000 members. Ms. Owens also coordinated the Cooperative Finance Leaders for America (CFLA) fellowship program that brought new and emerging thought-leaders to the credit union movement.

Ms. Owens served as a judge on CUNA’s Desjardins Youth and Adult Financial Literacy Committee for nine years and was as a Board Member of the National Disability Institute (NDI) for a decade. She worked on several steering committees throughout New York looking at the need for bilingual adult education programs. Ms. Owens is certified as a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) Class of 2006, best ever!

Inducted March 2018

Peggy Peacock was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where she still proudly calls it home. Her love for her city and commitment to human causes made her a perfect candidate for a career of helping her fellow citizens. Her public service career began when she was hired in 1967 by the City of Baltimore. She was brought on as a Neighborhood Development Assistant for the Community Action Agency. This agency came out of the War on Poverty program established by President Lyndon Johnson. Her service to her community continued when she became involved with the establishment of the Inner City Credit Union which aided underserved residents of Baltimore’s inner city. The credit union had branches in the Cherry Hill neighborhood, east and west Baltimore and Peggy was its chief liaison, informing residents in Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods that there was a financial institution for them.

In the mid-1970s, the Community Action Agency became the Urban Services Agency which merged with Model Cities. Ultimately the agency became Housing and Community Development where Peggy’s position was Human Services Worker. She retired in February 2017 after 50 years of dedicated service to her beloved Baltimore.

In March 1999, Peggy Peacock became a member of the board of directors of MECU. Additionally, she held positions as a MECU Foundation board member, as a member of the ALM Committee, as co-chair of the Governance Committee, and chairperson of the Strategic Planning Committee. Furthermore, when it came time to choose a new President and CEO for MECU, she served on that committee as well.

During her tenure as a MECU board member, she has witnessed and been a part of MECU’s increasing commitment to the community. One undertaking she recalls, in particular, was MECU’s partnership with the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood in West Baltimore. Through MECU’s collaboration with New Song Community Church and Habitat for Humanity, many citizens were able to realize their dream of homeownership. Peggy continues to inspire and encourage all those who come in contact with her, especially women, and through her actions, she has demonstrated her dedication to the true mission of the credit union movement.

Inducted February 2021

Since joining CUES in March 2013, Pembroke has played a leadership role in developing and launching a new direction in CUES’ strategy, branding and culture.  Under his guidance, CUES has revamped its membership structure, launched new institutes, and introduced Elite Access™ Virtual Classroom, an innovative blended learning offering. Additionally, CUES has expanded its market further into Canada and the Caribbean.  

Pembroke’s experience includes over 25 years in financial services, marketing and e-commerce. He served as chief marketing officer at PSCU Financial Services, St. Petersburg, Fla., one of the largest Credit Union Service Organizations in the U.S. There, he was responsible for marketing, product development and product management. 

Prior to PSCU Financial Services, Pembroke held leadership roles at Cox Enterprises, Kellogg, Kraft Foods, and Procter & Gamble. He has worked on some of the world’s most popular brands. 

Pembroke holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania and a M.B.A. in Marketing and Policy Studies from the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago. 

Pembroke serves on the board of directors of the CU DEI Collective.  The CU DEI Collective believes, diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to a vibrant, relevant and growing Credit Union Movement, and is good business.  

Inducted August 2021

William “Bill” Porter joined Municipal Credit Union (MCU) in 1981 when the New York State Banking Department hired him to revitalize what was then an organization on the brink of extinction. At the time, MCU had only one branch in downtown Manhattan, 100 employees and a shrinking asset base of $90 million. Bill began to rebuild the credit union into a service-driven enterprise.  

It has been documented on many occasions Bill’s tireless leadership in the wake of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. At his recommendation, the Board agreed to forgive a total of $350,000 in loans made to members – the families of New York City Firefighters and Police Officers who sadly lost their lives in the disaster.  

Upon his retirement in 2007, MCU had 14 branches, over 500 employees serving 300,000 members, an extensive network of ATMs and $1.3 billion in assets.  

Bill joined MCU after a 25-year career at Citibank, where he rose to the position of Vice President and became the first African American to manage branches for the bank in Midtown Manhattan and Wall Street. A native of Brooklyn New York, Bill is a graduate of New York University. He also served in the United States Navy. 

Inducted August 2019

A seventeen-year credit union industry professional, Ed Presnell has been the Regional Business Development Executive at Peach State Federal Credit Union in Augusta, Georgia since 2018, being responsible for the cultivation and management of the credit union’s relationships in the Augusta MSA.  Prior to joining Peach State FCU, he retired as VP/CAO at his previous credit union. 

An active member of AACUC since 2007, Ed is a multi-term board member. In 2019, he was inducted into the African American Credit Union Hall of Fame, his most humbling recognition during his extensive business career. 

His deep-rooted connection to Augusta began in 1971 when he moved to the area following his graduation from Clemson University with a degree in Economics. Since then, he has served the community in a variety of ways including chairmanships in 18 organizations. Currently serving as District Governor in Georgia District 6920 (one third of the state), he also is a Past President of the Augusta Rotary Club.  He was a member of the Clemson University Board of Visitors from 2000-2003. 

His previous roles include President/CEO of the Augusta Chamber of Commerce from 2002-2005, 17 years in telecommunications as RVP and GM for two companies and another 16 years in the financial service industry as he began his business journey.   

He is married to Deb, has four grandchildren and enjoys golf, history, travel, baseball, and reading.
 

Inducted August 2016

Lillian Priest (April 14, 1954 – September 6, 2014) was a woman of irrepressible style and exuberant spirit. Lillian Priest was true to the credit union movement. “People helping people” was her motto. She was brought into the credit union cooperative movement early in her adult life when she joined Shreveport Federal Credit Union. Lillian Priest had been a volunteer at Shreveport Federal Credit Union serving on various committees, and the last eight years of her life, she served on their Board and held the position of Secretary.

Lillian worked for the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) for over 10 years and was a major contributor to the growth and professional development of the organization.  Her dedication and commitment to AACUC was unparalleled. She increased the membership during her tenure, and continued to develop and further reinforce the AACUC mission which is “to increase the strength of the global credit union movement."

Much of her life was selflessly devoted to public service. She served in various capacities in city government, including Executive Assistant to Mayor John Hussey and as Director of the Department of Urban Development. Upon leaving city government she began her own entrepreneurial endeavor and became the co-owner and Marketing & Development Officer of JaLi`Ve Enterprises, LLC.

In November 2004, Lillian Priest was first elected to the Caddo Parish School Board, District 7; she served as President of the Board for two terms. Her board tenure is marked by her passionate advocacy for educational excellence for all children.

Lillian generously shared her time and talents with a host of community and civic organizations including: Chair of the Caddo Parish Democratic Party, Crimestoppers Shreveport, Sci-Port Discovery, Downtown Rotary Club and others.

Lillian received her BA from Northwestern State University and continued study toward a Master of Liberal Arts degree at LSU-Shreveport.

Inducted August 2018

Goldie Randall has served on the Board of Directors, the Member Relations Committee, and currently the Finance Committee for SRP Federal Credit Union. She worked as a Financial Analyst for Westinghouse at the Savannah River Site until she retired in 2002. The National Management Association presented Ms. Randall with the Member of the Year Award in 2000 for her work with high school students. She is the mother of three and has four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Her family lives in Chicago and around the United States. Her hobbies include bowling, visiting her family and volunteering to help others. 

Inducted February 2023

Michael Ray is currently the Vice President of Business Development at PAHO/WHO Federal Credit Union in Washington DC. For nearly six years, Michael was President and CEO of Georgetown Federal Credit Union until it merged with PAHO/WHO FCU in July 2021. Prior to joining Georgetown and later PAHO/WHO FCU, Michael worked for 26 years for Congressional FCU, the credit union that serves the Members of Congress and staff of the House of Representatives. Michael is an International DE and has devoted efforts in working with credit unions throughout Africa for the last six years. He is a repeat speaker and trainer at conferences for Accosca in Nairobi Kenya. Michael has also worked with credit union throughout Russia, on behalf of ACDI-VOCA between 2004 -2008 and has been associated with AACUC since 2001. Michael is a graduate from the University of Maryland and holds a master’s degree in counseling and psychology from Bowie State. In his spare time, Michael enjoys cooking and entertaining reading and traveling with his life partner. 

Inducted March 2018

Cliff Rosenthal is the author of Democratizing Finance: Origins of the Community Development Financial Institutions Movement (November 2018). An internationally recognized leader in bringing financial services to low-income and minority communities, he led the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (now: Inclusiv) for more 30 years. Raising below-market investments from faith-based organizations, foundations, and corporations, he established the Capitalization Program for Community Development Credit Unions, which under his leadership channeled more than $100 million in deposits and secondary capital into CDCUs. He co-founded the Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions, which successfully advocated for the establishment of the federal CDFI Fund.

Cliff helped organize a dozen credit unions and coauthored Organizing Credit Unions: A Manual. His other works include “Credit Unions, Community Development Finance, and the Great Recession” (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2012); “People’s Credit: A Study of the Lending of the Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union, 1986-89; and Community Banking Partnerships: Legal Structures that Work. In 2012, he left the National Federation to launch the Office of Financial Empowerment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), developing initiatives to improve access to financial services for economically vulnerable consumers.

He received the Herb Wegner Award of the National Credit Union Foundation (2005), as well as the highest awards of the Opportunity Finance Network, the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, the Lawyers Alliance of New York City, the National Federation of CDCUs, the Network of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals and others.  The ASI Federal Credit Union in New Orleans named the “Clifford N. Rosenthal Community Resource Center” to honor his assistance after Hurricane Katrina.

Cliff holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia University, where he was trained as a Russian historian, subsequently receiving a mid-career fellowship to study financial institutions. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Center for the Study of Brooklyn at Brooklyn College (CUNY) and a volunteer advisor for the Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City (CEANYC).

Inducted February 2025

As President and CEO of UNCLE Credit Union since 2011, Harold Roundtree has consistently led his teams with integrity, while driving the organization toward financial success and community enrichment.

Roundtree brings over 30 years of senior executive management experience to the credit union industry, where he has developed strategic foresight and operational expertise enabling him to navigate complex financial landscapes, deliver sustainable growth and enhance member satisfaction. Prior to joining UNCLE, he served as Senior Vice President of the Retail Banking Division at Technology Credit Union and other various leadership roles at World Savings and First Interstate Bank.

Passionate about the credit union movement, Roundtree currently serves on the housing and mid-size credit union advisory committees of the California Credit Union League. He is also a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation’s Credit Union Advisory Committee. He finds time to give back to local communities by serving on the board of local chambers, including leadership roles as chairman.

Roundtree was appointed as At Large Director to the California Credit Union League Board in May 2024 and was elected to serve as At Large Director by other California Credit Union CEOs in August 2024. This position serves as a vital link between the League and its member credit unions.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from Golden Gate University.

Inducted August 2017

In my 1994 arrival into the Dallas / Ft Worth communities, I immediately noticed several social and economic opportunities that could help transform the African America outlook on these cities. The general condition of the business community throughout the Southwest was attempting to regain its status coming out of the United States Savings & Loan collapse. I called upon several creative ideas that I knew could develop through Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. As I relocated from Chicago and reflecting back of several Philanthropic missions that my Fraternity had taught me in my 21 years as a Member and Life Member, provided me with a pretty open mind how to engage and build on my Fraternity’s proven community events and social fundraising strategies.

As of the Spring of 1997, the hunt was on to create a viable entity through my Kappa Alumni Chapter, Richardson Plano Alumni of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. The first on my agenda was to create a 501(c)(3) Private Foundation specializing in the multiple areas as follow:

The Corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, including, but not limited to, the following:

To engage in charitable activities and extend financial aid through grants, gifts, contributions, or aid or assistance to qualified individuals.

To acquire or receive from individuals, firms, associations, corporations, trusts, foundations, or any governmental subdivision unit or agency by deed, gifts, purchase, bequest, or otherwise cash securities, and other property, tangible or intangible, real or personal, and to hold for the purpose of which the Richardson / Plano Guide Right Foundation (Corporation) is organized.

To acquire, construct, maintain, and operate rehabilitation projects or redevelopment projects in accordance with the provisions of the State where such activities may occur (i.e. Richardson, Plano, Addison, Carrollton, Garland, Mesquite, or Dallas).

To encourage, promote, and participate in the education, rehabilitation and management of youths and related facilities and services for the benefit of residents of the Metroplex where such activities may occur (i.e. Richardson, Plano, Addison, Carrollton, Garland, Mesquite, or Dallas), in such a way as may appear feasible and appropriate. To transact such other business and do any other things incidental to and connected with said purposes.

To do whatever is deemed necessary, useful, advisable or conductive, directly or indirectly, to carry out any of the purposes of the Richardson / Plano Guide Right Foundation (Corporation) including the exercise of all other power, rights, privileges and authority conferred on and enjoyed by corporations, generally, by virtue of the provisions of the Texas General Not for Profit Corporation Act.

To accept and hold all assets accepted and received under the terms and conditions hereof exclusively for charitable purposes, and unless otherwise requested by the donor and authorized by the Board of Directors, all assets shall be held as unrestricted funds, and net income there be applied for charitable purposes or the assistance of qualified individuals or charitable organizations and public charities (which supported by private donations or public taxation), contributions for which are deductible under the Internal Revenue code 1954 including, but not limited to the promotion of education, social and scientific research, the care of the sick, the aged, infirm and handicapped, the care of children, the improvement of living, working recreational and environmental conditions or facilities and such other charitable education and social purposes that will assist the betterment of the mental, moral, social, and physical conditions of the inhabitants of America, regardless of race, religion, sex, place of national origin, or political persuasion according to the discretion of the Board of Directors.

Upon receiving the State of Texas’s initial approvals in 1998 in preparation for the first ever Foundation event hosting 500 plus persons at the Richardson Plano Guide Right Foundation’s (RPGRF) first ever Black & White Ball in 1999, a new direction and independency were empowered. This exceptional Black & White Ball covered a weekend of events and receptions the second week of June 1999. A host of community dignitaries, business partners, political, press and On-Air Personalities fellowshipped at one of the area’s most prestigious destination Hotels, the Intercontinental Hotel in, Addison, Texas.

As I launched the RPGRF and Chaired the initial 1999 Gala with a team of dedicated members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, all roads opened up and other avenues provided subsequent enterprising opportunities that we as a Board had to evaluate after establishing this footprint in the community. After a second and third Black & White ball, I headed into August 2002. From 2002 / 2003 I directed the focused of RPGRF to look into the empowerment of financial strengths in the African American community through Kappa Alpha Psi and the eight (8) other African American Sororities and Fraternities Nationally.

The initial focus groups for penning a successful financial institutional was tested in the Southwest Provincial (SWP) meeting in March 2003 in Arlington, Texas. In general, the test was at the SWP Board meeting of about 450 to 600 in attendance that weekend to seek the Board support to engaging in purchasing a “bank.” Knowing the challenges and the unlikeliness of successfully raising the capital requirements to launch a bank, the next day I re-stated my case and stipulate to the Board in their second round of meetings that I would lead a team and we form “Kappa Alpha Psi Federal Credit Union.”  Having a financial background and working with the Bear Stearns Investment bank, gave me a great deal of latitude to forge ahead with several subsequent meeting through February 2004 with the Texas League of Credit Unions. Seeking their guidance and blessing as one of the nationals largest and most proficient Credit Unions-Trade Associations, not only based in North Dallas, but by setting various meeting to learn and get assistance from the Executives the same hour, same day, afforded me several accelerated relationships and tools to lead the team and file for our Charter in Region IV for all chartered Credit Unions in the Southwest portion of America. This Region IV office was based in Austin, Texas.

After the initial submission of two or three applications, albeit revised for various financial analysis into July of 2004; I personally had to make a trip to Region IV.  I meet with the NCUA to discuss and arbitrate our point of view. One of the most vivid discussions was to explain to the NCUA Administrator that Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity is an organization of professional college educated men. Not to be confused with just another collegiate Fraternity that would disband post-college as several (White) Fraternities have done, and he admitted Fraternity membership in his college days but that his Fraternity has no to very little presence for its members post a collage.

Plowing ahead and getting a subsequent notification through the fall of 2004, Kappa Alpha Psi Federal Credit Union was Chartered November 4, 2004, as a national Federal Institution. Our rights to operate and take in deposits included Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. Immediately into Spring 2005, at various Kappa Provincial meetings (12 Provinces), I attended and personally informed the Fraternity and took KAPFCU Board members and Advisors to encourage and build our membership.

Throughout 2004 and into August 2010 we operated the first “VIRTUAL” NCUA charted internet based Credit Union platform that grew from zero dollars to $1M dollars in deposits, procured significant NCUA designations i.e. Low Income Designations to benefit High School and Undergraduate College students (young adults), secured CDFI Certification, CCR Certification with the Federal Government’s GSA division and applied for CDFI Grants, only to receive approval for $100,000 in proceeds from the CDFI Department of Treasury as one of dozens and millions of dollars allocated these dollars to grow Credit Unions.  Our allocation would have been awarded on August 19, 2010. The immediate effect of CDFI Grants in regards to all financial institutions increases their balance sheet assets and establishing a stronger investment program into its members and communities and would have been especially beneficial for KAPFCU and the members it served.

Inducted August 2018

Louisiana Wright Sanders has been a member of SRP Federal Credit Union for over 43 years, serving on its Board of Directors for 31 years in multiple capacities including on the Executive Committee, as Secretary of the Board, and Member Relations Committee Chair to name a few. Her experience also includes Aiken Electric Cooperative’s Credit Union. She is a 2018 African American Credit Union Hall of Fame Inductee. She is employed with Amentum Services Corporation with over 39 years of service in positions including Laboratory, Finance and Accounting, Government/Public Affairs and currently as a Financial Professional in Contracts & Procurement. 

Inducted July 2023

Larry D. Sewell served a Commissioned Officer and Major in the United States Air Force, retiring after serving for 17 years. 

He retired from Together Credit Union (TCU) in April 2022, where he served as VP of Corporate Partnerships & Advocacy. Mr. Sewell was active in the CU movement for more than 28 years, previously holding positions as the VP of Training & Development as well as the VP of Corporate Culture & Talent with TCU. He is the immediate past Chair of the African American Credit Union Coalition Board of Directors. Mr. Sewell chaired several committees for AACUC (Membership, Advocacy, Nominating) and two years on the CUNA Advocacy Committee. He was a forward-thinking leader at TCU introducing diversity as a growth strategy in 1996 and the “Salad Bowl” diversity concept to Credit Unions. Mr. Sewell then trained and coached the executive team and all staff for 20 consecutive years. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Samford University, Birmingham, AL, and two Master’s, from the University of Arkansas (Business Management) and Webster University St. Louis (Information Management). Mr. Sewell has been married to his wife, Ella, for 44 years.  They have a son, Marques, and a daughter, Monica. 

Inducted February 2025

With over 24 years of leadership experience with Educational Systems Federal Credit Union, Girado Smith became its President/CEO in 2023 after serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2004. During his tenure, Girado has led the credit union’s financial operations and strategic direction, resulting in surpassing $1 billion in assets. He is committed to serving the education community by offering customized solutions and excellence in member service.

Giving back to the education community is a personal priority. He helped the credit union establish the Support Education Foundation, Inc. allowing employees and members to contribute to charitable giving programs that benefit students and school employees. He was the first Chair of the Board of Directors of the Support Education Foundation and serves on the board of the Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation, Inc.

Driven to shape a culture of teamwork and inclusion within the credit union movement, Smith played an integral role in partnering with AACUC to form the Rosemary Brinkley C-Level Leadership Development Program, which supports diverse middle managers and leaders elevate their skills and career. He also earned a certificate in diversity, equity and inclusion.

He serves on the Metropolitan Area Credit Union Management Association and the MD|DC Credit Union Association Suburban Maryland Chapter boards, is a member of professional organizations including AACUC and the National Association of Federal Credit Unions, and supports the PowHERful Foundation.

He received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Mansfield University and holds a Certified Public Accountant designation.

Inducted February 2021

Lynette Smith has been in the credit union industry for over 32 years. In the past twelve years Lynette has been the President/CEO of TruEnergy FCU

(formaly Washington Gas Light FCU) her first President position. Her credit union offers competitive financial products and services to multiple employee groups, which includes the Washington Gas Company and their contractors and energy related companies.

Prior to that she had a long career at Treasury Department Federal Credit Union where she served for 19 years as the Vice President/ Finance and Administration, Vice President/ CFO, Vice President/COO and Acting CEO.

Lynette held the position of CFO for Treasury Department for over 16 years. This gave Lynette the opportunity to experience over 30 NCUA exams and visits, and prepared and reviewed over 95 NCUA call reports during all of the positions held.  Being a neighbor of NCUA, they would occasionally send new examiners to shadow her in her CFO position at Treasury Department FCU.

Lynette’s passion is Financial Literacy and has represented the credit union industry on Capital Hill, educating Congressman on the credit industry and our mission of “People Helping People”. She also organized an in-house Financial Literacy Program through Operation Hope, which provided free credit counseling to Treasury Department FCU members and the DC underserved community. For her efforts on Capital Hill in 2008 and Operation Hope, she was awarded the National Association of Federal Credit Union’s “Paul Revere Award”. She has participated in numerous roundtable discussions and meetings with U.S. Congress and Senate Representatives, U.S Secretary of Treasury, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Educating these stakeholders on the mission of the credit union industry and the impact on Regulatory burden, it what she is passionate about. During the past 5 years Lynette was assisted in the CU Foundations Reality Fair during AACUC’s Annual Conference.

In 2009 Lynette was selected to be a member of the Virginia Credit Union League’s Government Affairs Committee which represents Virginia Credit Union’s legislative efforts at both the state and federal levels. She has met with many congressmen in the Common Wealth State of Virginia to educate them on the advantages and benefits of the credit union industry. Lynette loves to meet with government legislators on several topics in regards to regulatory burden and the challenges facing the credit union industry. This is an opportunity to educate them on how we are so much more different than the banking industry.

In 2010, Washington Gas Light FCU received a Marketing National Award from NAFCU for a Loan Promotion for the credit union’s 70^th Anniversary Celebration in 2009. This past summer, Lynette also spoke at the 33^rd National Directors Conference, topic was NCUA Examination Concerns.

In 2011, Lynette was nominated by her peers of CEO’s in the industry, and received from NAFCU, the CEO of the Year Award for credit unions under $150 million in assets.

She also did 3 testimonies to the United States Congress’s Financial Services Committee over the past four (4) years:

• April 6, 2011 in regards to the “Legislative Proposals to Improve the Structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau”.
• July 19, 2012, Lynette did her second testimony to the Financial Services Committee in regards to “Who’s in your Wallet? Dodd-Frank’s Impact on Families, Communities and Small Businesses”.
• October 29, 2013 “Examining Legislative Proposals to Reform the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau”.

In March 2018 Lynette, along with nine other Credit Union CEO’s, met with White House Officials to discuss their support of the Economic Growth Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection (S.2155).

And  in 2016 and 2018 , Lynette has met with Department of Treasury Officials to discuss Small Financial Institutions concerns in regards to,  Cyber Security Threats and Vendor Management Due Diligence.

In April 2018 Lynette did a presentation at the Metropolitan Area Credit Union Management Association’ s Mid Management Seminar  on “How to Achieve Effective Leadership in the Credit Union Industry “.

Lynette wrote an article on “Raising Your Profile” in March 2018’s Credit Union Executive Management Magazine, (CUES).  And in May Lynette also participated in a CUES YouTube presentation on  “Advancing Women, and Breaking Down Barriers" .

Lynette is currently on the Board of the African American Credit Union Coalition for over 11 years, and is also Past Chairman of the Board. For the past 6 years, Lynette has served on the Board of the Metropolitan Credit Union Association. Both of these organizations provide mentorship and leadership to up and coming credit union leaders.

In 2019, Lynette along with twelve other CEO’s founded and created an organization called CUWLA (Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance). This organization is for credit union female CEO with assets under $300 million. It major purpose is to provide a safe place for CEO to exchange ideas. CUWAL will officially launch the organization in 2021, with Lynette currently serving at a Board Member.

She also is a member of several other credit union trade associations which include, National Association of Federal Credit Union, Credit Union National Association, and the Credit Union Executive Society, Virginia Credit Union League Association, and CUNA Mutual Insurance’s Select CEO Group, and the Washington Area Management Association.

On a global note, in 2017 she has hosted China and South Korean’s Credit Union Association. In this capacity she held informal meetings, and shared the credit union’s industries best practices for enhancing our member’s financial experience.

During her credit union experience she has mentored several church credit unions, Mount Airy Baptist Church in Washington DC and Reid Temple AME Church in Glendale Maryland.

Lynette has a BS degree in Accounting, graduating Cum Laude, from Morgan State University.  At Morgan she was the first President of Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society in 1978.  Prior to joining the credit union industry Lynette worked in Health Care Financial Administration and was an auditor with Ernst and Young ( formally Ernst and Whinney) in her earlier career.

Inducted March 2017

Maurice Smith is the CEO of Local Government Federal Credit Union and Civic FCU. Both are financial cooperatives serving the financial needs of employees, appointed officials, elected officeholders, and volunteers of local governments in North Carolina.  

Smith began his career in financial services as a loan officer for State Employees’ Credit Union. Smith served in several capacities including vice-president/city executive and vice-president of marketing/training. Smith joined LGFCU in 1992 as the Executive VicePresident and was promoted to President in 1999 and later CEO. Civic was chartered in 2017.  

Smith received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and earned a Juris Doctorate from the NC Central University School of Law. Smith is licensed to practice law in North Carolina, the District of Columbia and before the United States Supreme Court. Smith is also a North Carolina Certified Superior Court Mediator. Smith achieved a NC Real Estate Brokers License, Certified Credit Union Executive Designation and attended several management and marketing schools.  

Smith and his wife have two children and live in Cary, North Carolina. He is a Deacon at Wake Chapel Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and participates in several community and civic activities. Smith is a self-proclaimed cooperative nerd. He believes that a business model that empowers its members to engage in democratic, self-help, classless principles is superior to other business types. As a fan of credit union ideals, Smith is avid about his beliefs. 

Inducted March 2026

Sati Smith is the Chief Executive Officer of Diversified Members Credit Union (DMCU), where she has served as CEO for two years, following more than 20 years in the financial industry.

Smith is a strong advocate for financial inclusion for all, regardless of socioeconomic status and is recognized for her ability to create trust-based relationships that position DMCU for long-term growth and member success. Her leadership reflects both strategic focus and a deep commitment to people.

Beyond her professional role, Smith serves on the boards of the Detroit Public Safety Foundation and Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. She is also an ambassador for the Voices of Black Women cancer research study.

Dedicated to service and empowerment, she often shares her story to encourage young women to believe in their potential—reinforcing her belief that “if I can do it, so can you.” Her impact extends well beyond the credit union industry.

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Inducted February 2016

Barbara Stephens was introduced to the credit union industry in 1976 as a teller at San Diego County Credit Union. It was there that she realized the true meaning of the credit union’s philosophy “People Helping People.” This inspired her so that she decided to make the credit union industry her career. She quickly excelled by advancing in numerous positions.
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In 1979 Stephens moved from San Diego to Houston. In Houston she continued her professional passion, love for “the – CREDIT UNION MOVEMENT.” She served as Branch Manager of IBM Credit Union, Vice-President of Met Tran Federal Credit Union and later promoted to President.

In September 1992, Stephens became the first African-American to hold the position of President/CEO at Houston Municipal Employees Credit Union.   With 39 years in the credit union industry serving on various boards and committees, Stephens has made a tremendous impact, not only in the State of Texas, but on the national level.

In 2009, Stephens was selected as a recipient of the Cornerstone Award by NAFCU, presented with a “Shining Star” award by the Galena Park/Houston Metroplex Chapter of the National Women of Achievement. She has served on the Texas Credit Union League Board, Credit Union Managers Association, and Houston Chapter of CU’s. Today, she is serving on the African-American Credit Union Coalition Board of Directors of which she received the Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011, Chair of the CDIP Committee for the National Federation of CDCU’s and Board Member of the Shadow Creek Ranch Homeowners Association.

Stephens, a survivor and fighter has always been ready to meet a challenge whether in her professional, community or personal life. According to Credit Union Times reporter Michelle Samaad, “if anyone can look a challenge squarely in the eye, decide right away to conquer it and come out shining on the other end, its’ Barbara Stephens.” In November 2005, Stephens was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her reaction…” either I’m going to let it defeat me or I’m going to beat it.” That was Ten years ago, a survivor and fighter.

​Barbara is married to Reginald Stephens and has 4 children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She is a proud member of the Fort Bend Church in Sugarland under the Leadership of Pastor Byron C. Stevenson.

Inducted March 2024

Anthony Taylor was the first African American appointed to Ascend Federal Credit Union’s Board Development Committee and has been a driving force in building it into the largest credit union in Middle Tennessee and one of the largest in the state. 

In his over 19 years of service, he has served as Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Treasurer, as well as on their Supervisory Committee. 

During his Chairmanship, the credit union experienced remarkable growth, with assets increasing 21%, from $2.6 billion and 208,000 members to $4.1 billion and 255,771 members. 

He has been instrumental in ensuring Ascend has a high-performing Board that serves the best interests of its members. He prioritized board governance efforts to include board succession planning, periodic board assessments, and transformed its board meetings to be more strategic and future focus.  Respecting board members’ time, he incorporated the use of virtual meetings prior to the Covid Pandemic.  He was also involved in helping make certain Ascend’s board reflects the diversity of the membership.   

In 2021, he was recognized by NAFCU as Volunteer of Year in Ascend’s asset size.  He holds a BS degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a JD degree from the Nashville School of Law.

Inducted February 2024

Robert N. Trunzo is President Emeritus of TruStage. With 20 years of service, he served at the helm for 10 years. He is known for his focus on shaping a more inclusive company and contributing to a more equitable industry and community.  

He is credited with forming TruStage Ventures™ Discovery Fund, a venture capital fund that invests $5M annually in early stage fintech companies led by BIPOC, LGBTA+ and woman founders. He pledged resources and financial support to ACCOSCA for establishing a lending education program in Africa. He is a founding funder of community services such as the Urban League’s Black Business Hub and the Center for Black Excellence and Culture in Madison, WI. In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA – where the racial gap between Black and white individuals remains larger than in many metro areas in the United States – he invested in the formation of All-in Grocers and the 1619 Freedom School.  

Within the credit union movement, Mr. Trunzo is a founding member of CU DEI Collective and founding investor in the FinHealth fund. He partnered with Inclusiv to increase the number of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and helped CDFIs and Minority Depository Institutions access $12 billion in new federal funding.  

Inducted August 2017

Chairman of the Board of Directors at SECU, the largest state-chartered financial cooperative in Maryland, has won two awards for his contributions to business and community service. The African Methodist Episcopal Church — 2nd Episcopal District named Tynes the Bishop’s Man of the Year for Community Service. The Zeta Sigma Alumni Chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., honored Tynes with its Bigger and Better Business Award.

Tynes also serves as Chairman of the Credit Union Foundation for the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia. He spent 33 years in Maryland State Government,  he was the Deputy Secretary of the State Department of Personnel, Assistant to the Chief Deputy Comptroller and Human Resources Director for the University of Maryland System. He has also served as Director of Personnel for Anne Arundel County Government. Tynes is on the staff of the Carl Murphy Fine Arts Center at Morgan State University and functions as Business Manager for the Morgan State University Choir.

Inducted February 2016

When Annie Wilma Vamper passed away on May 19, 1990, the community development credit union movement lost one of its heroes — and an important part of its history.

For more than 30 years, Annie Vamper served in virtually every role that the credit union movement has to offer. Born in Bessemer, Alabama in 1933, she started as a volunteer with the College City Elks Lodge FCU in 1958. By 1962, she began working with the M.C.E. FCU, where she served as manager until 1966.

During the War on Poverty in the 1960s, Annie was recruited to become the Credit Union Coordinator for Dade Economic Opportunity Program in Florida, where she organized, chartered, and trained the staff of twelve neighborhood credit unions. Her work caught the attention of the Bureau of Federal Credit Unions, and she became a Limited-Income Credit Union Specialist for the Southeast Region.

She joined the team of Project Moneywise, to promote consumer education and cooperation among low-income people. In 1972, as the nation began to turn away from the problems of the poor, Annie returned to managing a credit union, Coulter Electronics Employees FCU, where she served for 8 years before being recruited again by the National Credit Union Administration.

With the passage of the Community Development Credit Union Revolving Loan Fund, NCUA moved to establish a new CDCU division, and Annie became its second in command. But by 1982, the office was dissolved, a victim of deregulation and the ebbing interest in programs to help the poor. Annie accepted a transfer to New Jersey, where she entered into training to become a field examiner for NCUA. But by this time, her unique skills and interest no longer were valued by the agency. In September 1983, she left NCUA for the last time.

It was then that she came to the National Federation of CDCUs, joining its only remaining staff member, Cliff Rosenthal, in the rebuilding the Federation. She became Associate Director — and chief financial officer, Capitalization Program staff, regulatory analyst, and “godmother” to half a dozen new CDCUs formed during the 1980s.

Until her death in 1990, she gave every ounce of her strength, her commitment, and her love to the CDCU movement. In 1993, the “Helping Hands” Award was created to honor Annie Vamper’s memory, along with the dedication of the Federation’s training center at our New York City headquarters.

The “Helping Hands” Award celebrates those individuals whose unselfish work for the CDCU movement carry-on Annie’s legacy.

Inducted March 2026

Max Villaronga has served as President/CEO of Raiz Federal Credit Union, which holds over $1 billion in assets and serves 77,000 members, since 2014. He has built his experience working in a variety of industries and has worked for such notable organizations as The Home Depot and the U.S. Marines.

At Raiz, Villaronga has focused on creating a culture focused on a foundation of human dignity. He centers his team on the fact that diversity, inclusion, equity, belonging, and accessibility are both morally important and a strategic advantage. His actions demonstrate that—he surrounds himself with the most valued, energetic, and intelligent leaders, and he supports their success. Villaronga believes you can do well by doing good, which is the primary focus in Raiz’s vision of community development.

Villaronga is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, the University of Texas at Dallas with a Master of Business Administration, and the School of Retail Banking at Furman. He is a Certified Chief Executive and a Credit Union Development Educator.

Villaronga currently serves as the Chairman of the Underserved Communities Foundation, Chairman of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, Past Chairman of the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, Secretary of the Board of the National Association of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals, University of Texas at El Paso College of Education Advisory Board Member, and Past Chairman of the CUNA Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Subcommittee. He has been married to his wife Erin for 27 years and has two wonderful children, Sarah and Rachel.

Inducted March 2017

Robert Leander Watson Sr. was born November 17, 1921, in Macon, GA. At an early age, the family moved to Detroit, MI where he attended grammar school and later graduated from Cooley High School. Upon graduating from High School, Watson started his business as a landscaper.

In 1942, he began to work at the Packard Motor Co. as a janitor. There he started to fight for equal job opportunities because the company would not hire Blacks to operate machinery. He was instrumental in organizing a strike to correct the inequity, and as a result, the machine shop was opened to Blacks. Watson left Packard in 1948 to become an entrepreneur and a small business owner. He was a life insurance salesman, had a shoe repair shop and dry cleaners.

Watson returned to the automotive industry and began working for Chrysler Corp. He became very active with the UAW and Fair Practices Committee and subsequently moved to Wilmington, DE in 1957 to continue working for the Chrysler Corp. There he became Chairman of the Fair Practices Committee and served for 23 years. He was also the State Chairman for Region 8 for the UAW Civil Rights Division.

Since the first strike at Packard Motors, Watson has demonstrated, picketed, and marched many times for equal housing, public accommodations, and restaurant services. He has participated in many sit-ins and demonstrations. He is a firm believer in quit dragging your feet, pick them up and go forward. Watson has said for many years if he is needed today to march, demonstrate, or picket, he is ready.

Watson and four other visionaries started Chryco Newark Federal Credit Union (American Spirit Credit Union) in Newark, Delaware. Many Chrysler workers were having trouble obtaining financial services in the 1960s and therefore desired to have their own Financial Institution. This gave them the opportunity to have services provided that they needed. He was Chairman of the Credit Committee, served on the Supervisory Committee, and has held the positions of Secretary, Vice President, and President. He has been a credit union volunteer since the credit union started in 1963, and served on the Board for over 50 years.

Watson’s vision and belief are that people of color are knowledgeable and capable, and can make a significant impact if they are given an opportunity. He was instrumental in pressuring management to create a diversified workforce at American Spirit and was instrumental in the hiring of the first minority at the credit union in the ’60s. Watson got involved with the Credit Union because he wanted to give back to the community by educating and helping people to fulfill their dreams. He stated that the credit union has educated and helped teach many members how to help themselves.

He continued, “…the credit union has also taught me a lot too. People come together to help one another, some come here to save… and others to borrow. It’s rewarding when you help others—we’re volunteers, the board, the supervisory committee, and loan review board… we volunteer because we care. If we didn’t have volunteers, the cost for credit union products and services would be much higher.”

He is a member of Coleman Memorial United Methodist Church where he serves with the Men’s Ministry.

At 95 he is still active with the UAW retirees.

He was married to Lillian L. Watson for 74 years and they have four children.

Watson has given back to the community in a huge way through his devotion, fairness, and dedication, and this exhibits his commitment and passion to serve and encourage others to grow financially.

Inducted February 2025

Pearl Wicks is the Chief Retail Officer for Hope Credit Union (HOPE). She oversees all aspects of HOPE’s retail operations for its 40,000 members living in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee and manages the strategic direction of its member service.

Wicks joined HOPE in 2007 to spearhead its flagship Hurricane Katrina response program to support residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the development of financial plans for recovery. Over 10,000 people affected by the storm received counseling through the program, directing $600 million towards rebuilding their homes.

As Senior Vice President of Operations, she led HOPE through seven mergers and earned the reputation for preserving the legacy of the merging partners, particularly of the Minority Depository Institutions. She led the integration of 10 former bank branches – all located in majority Black communities and slated for closure – into HOPE’s operations.

As Chief Operations Officer, she navigated HOPE through the pandemic, resulting in closing over 5,200 Paycheck Protection Program loans, 89% of which were to business owners of color and 50% of which were to women-owned businesses.

Her leadership within the broader community development finance industry includes serving two terms on the Opportunity Finance Network Board of Directors, chairing its Governance Committee, and representing Inclusiv and HOPE at the Associated British Credit Unions Limited Annual Conference.

She is a member of the Capital One Community Advisory Committee, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Cade Chapel Missionary Baptist Church and the Girl Scouts. She is a graduate of Jackson State University.

Inducted August 2015

Mr. Herman Williams Jr. is the Chairman of the Board for MECU of Baltimore, Inc., Baltimore, MD. He has been in the credit union movement for 25 years.

​Accomplishments:

Chairman Herman Williams Jr. (known as the “Chief’) began his membership as a credit union member in 1954 when he joined the Baltimore City Fire Department. He was elected to the MECU Board of Directors in 1990 and quickly established himself as a strong advocate for the average member. He was elected Chairman of the Board in 1992, a position he has held for the past 23 years.

During Herman’s tenure as Chairman, MECU has grown from $325 million in assets in 1992 to $1.2 billion at the end of 2014. The membership has also grown from 52,515 members in 1992 to over 117,000 members currently. MECU’s one branch system has grown to ten branches, with an extensive network of ATMs and competitive products and services.​

Chairman Williams was a driving force in the Recodification of the Credit Union Law that had not been changed since 1936. Beginning in 1997, he brought together the Chairmen of the Boards of the Maryland State Charted Credit Unions to develop a plan to address these regulations in the State Legislature. He also met with the Commissioner of Financial Regulations, Robert Hergenroeder, and gained his support as well as other representatives of the Governor. His continued leadership resulted in efforts to have legislation passed creating a Task Force on the Recodification of the Credit Union Law appointed by the Governor. The Maryland Credit Union Law was rewritten and went into effect in October 2001. The passing of this new law gave parity for the Maryland Credit Unions with the Federal Chartered Credit Unions and the State Chartered Banks.

During his tenure, Chairman Williams has encouraged and led a community service cultural change at MECU. At the state level, MECU has repeatedly received the prestigious “Louise Herring Credit Union Philosophy in Action” Award and 9 “Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility for Community Service” Awards including a National award in 2014. Between 2003 and 2014, MECU employees directly contributed over $700,000 toward community redevelopment volunteering over 40,000 hours of their time valued at over $1,000,000. This investment of both time and money is a crucial differentiator that helps set MECU apart from other businesses in the community.

​​Commitment to Serve the African American Community:

• In 2004 Chairman Williams initiated the MECU Charity Cup Golf Tournament. To date, the Charity Cup has raised over $350,000.00 that has been donated back to the communities. Proceeds from this golf tournament are also donated to 9 Baltimore City schools that MECU has partnered with over the past 10 years.
• In 2011 under Chairman Williams’s leadership, MECU of Baltimore, Inc. received certification as a community development financial institution (CDFI). This certification is provided by the US Treasury Department’s CDFI Fund to financial institutions committed to financial inclusion and to providing access to affordable financial services in underserved communities. To obtain the certification, financial institutions must demonstrate that at least 60% of their financing activities are targeted to a qualifying target market as defined by the CDFI Fund. MECU’s certification application indicates that over 70% of its membership is low income and/or lives in economically depressed, financially underserved communities.
• MECU has been a major sponsor of the AACUC since its beginning. In addition, MECU hires several interns each year to give them work place experience.   MECU is also a major sponsor of the Maryland/DC Credit Union Foundation and donations to the foundation are used specifically for scholarships.