Member Awards
African American Credit Union Hall of Fame
About the African American Credit Union Hall of Fame
On October 16, 2008, the AACUC unveiled an exhibit featuring African Americans in the credit union movement the first 100 years at the America’s Credit Union Museum in Manchester, N.H. Continuing with that effort, the Funding Development Committee, led by Helen Godfrey Smith, created the African American Credit Union Hall of Fame. This virtual hall of fame was created to honor and recognize African Americans who have and are contributing to the credit union movement – many of whom are unsung heroes and trailblazers. To be inducted, individuals must provided in excess of 10 years of service in the credit union industry, worked to provide financial services for people in general, and achieved at least four significant accomplishments, which benefited African-Americans and people of color's access to financial capital.
Maurice R. Smith DEI Leadership Award
The Credit Union Industry’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Trailblazer Awards
The Maurice R. Smith DEI Leadership Award – originally the DEI Trailblazers Award – recognizes leaders and organizations that inspire accountability for collective Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts in the credit union movement and blaze the trail for others to follow. Honorees are selected based on the following criteria: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion thought leadership, demonstrated commitment and passion for engaging others in DEI and social impact of their work on the credit union community and our society.
Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award
About the Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award
This prestigious award is presented annually recognizing a credit union professional or volunteer whose career best embodies the African-American Credit Union Coalition’s mission to increase the strength of the global credit union community. Sustained excellence is a hallmark of the recipients. The recipient will have demonstrated support for the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.” Organized and/or provided significant assistance to credit unions in need. Has constructively impacted the infrastructure, growth, legislative, regulatory, image and/or service delivery capacity of the credit union community.
In August 2003, Pete Crear received the inaugural African-American Credit Union Lifetime Achievement Award and was further honored by having the award named after him and a college scholarship established in his name. Crear is retired and the past President and Chief Executive Officer of The World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. (WOCCU). Crear is considered a credit union pioneer.
AACUC Chairman's Awards
About the Chairman's Award
Retired in 2022, this esteemed award honored individuals that best represented a model for other members to emulate and best embodied the purpose and goals of AACUC.
The 2022 Chairman's Award recipients were: Duane Day of MECU Credit Union, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Naomi Anderson of Envisant, Esperanza Poblano of AACUC, Erin Coleman of Callahan & Associates, and AJ Lotharp of CUNA Mutual Group.
