Sheilah Montgomery
Sheilah Montgomery is a titan in the credit union industry. Her passion for mentoring small credit unions has become a hallmark enterprise for the AACUC.
ATLANTA (PRWEB) June 18, 2018
The African-American Credit Union Coalition, (AACUC), announced that Sheilah Montgomery is the 2018 recipient of the AACUC’s Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award. For over four decades, Montgomery has been advancing the mission of the credit union movement, while increasing the economic viability of individuals, communities and credit unions. She is a founding member of the AACUC and has dedicated her life and career to serving others as strategist, communicator, partnership builder and transformational leader.
Montgomery is the retired President/CEO of Credit Union of Atlanta and the former President/CEO of 1st Choice Credit Union (Atlanta, GA). During her tenure as President/CEO of both institutions, she was able to direct mission critical projects, develop organizational capacity strategies and create management initiatives to promote long term financial sustainability for both credit unions. Under her leadership, 1st Choice Credit Union was the first credit union in Atlanta to be designated as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certified home counseling agency. Over 25,000 members had access to financial services not easily accessible due to credit challenges and/or lack of collateral.
Currently, Montgomery serves as a board member of the Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, 1st Choice Credit Union, National Disability Institute, Inc. and board secretary of the AACUC. She is also a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE), African Development Educator (ADE) and Certified Credit Union Executive (CCE).
“Sheilah Montgomery is a titan in the credit union industry. Her passion for mentoring small credit unions has become a hallmark enterprise for the AACUC," said Timothy L. Anderson, AACUC Chairman and President/CEO of GPO FCU. "The unparalleled zeal to support others epitomizes the credit union philosophy of people helping people.”
Montgomery’s belief that diversity and inclusion are vital to the sustainability of the credit union industry and her advocacy for small credit unions and minority depository institutions has not gone unnoticed. The late Honorable Mayor Maynard Jackson (Atlanta) and former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, both honored her with a distinguished merit award for her servant leadership.
Montgomery will receive the Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award during the AACUC’s 20th annual conference that will be held at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta, on August 10, 2018, at 7:30 pm. For more information regarding attending the Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award Gala or the annual conference visit our website at http://www.aacuc.org.
About AACUC:
The AACUC was created to increase the strength of the global credit union community. In 2003 the AACUC became a 501c3 non-profit organization. Over the years, AACUC has grown and is ever changing to meet the needs of the dynamic credit union community which it serves. The organization is all-encompassing for individuals (professional and volunteers) in credit unions, insurance, regulators, consultants and other entities in the credit union industry.
Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award History.
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 movement.
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, a college scholarship established in his name and the Pete Crear Endowment Fund administered by the National Credit Union Foundation. 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.
