SNELLVILLE, GA – The African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC), inducted seven credit union leaders into its African American Credit Union Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony during the Credit Union National Association’s Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. The 2023 honorees are: 

• Tim Anderson, President/CEO, United States Senate Federal Credit Union

• Carla Decker, Chief Operating Officer, IDB Global Federal Credit Union

• Melinda Edmunds, President/CEO, Patent and Trademark Office Federal Credit Union

• Todd Harper, Chairman, National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)

• Lois Kitsch, Co-Founder, CU Difference

• George Ombado, Executive Director, African Confederation of Co-operative Saving and Credit Association (ACCOSCA)

• Michael Ray, Vice President of Business Development, PAHO/WHO Federal Credit Union

“The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was inspiring and momentous,” said AACUC Board Chairman, 2017 Hall of Fame Inductee, 2019 Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and 2021 DEI Trailblazer Maurice R. Smith. “The global impact and influence of this year’s honorees magnifies the catalytic effect of the credit union movement on creating thriving, financially viable communities and individuals, especially among marginalized and underrepresented communities. No other organization honors our industry greats – who are themselves, or represent, people of color – the way that AACUC does.”

The Hall of Fame was the anchor event capping off the 2023 #DEITuesday at CUNA GAC, a day featuring a series of events focusing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion presented by AACUC, Inclusiv, CUPride, the National Association of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals, Mitchell, Stankovic and Associates, the CU DEI Collective and the Credit Union National Association. Originally created as a fundraiser to support the sustainability of the AACUC, the Hall of Fame has become a hallmark for honoring individuals who have positively impacted access to financial capital for communities of color. 

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 15 years, including as Chairman, and began his career there as Branch Manager. Mr. Anderson possesses over 30 years of senior executive and management experience at large banks and credit unions including CEO of GPO Federal Credit Union, a local credit union in Washington, D.C.

Carla Decker is Chief Operating Officer of IDB Global Federal Credit Union since November 2021. For the previous two decades, Ms. Decker served as President/CEO 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. Her immigrant experience informed and energized DC Credit Union’s initiatives to address and advocate for the financial well-being of the local Hispanic community. 

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. Ms. Edmunds earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

Todd M. Harper was designated as the National Credit Union Administration’s twelfth Chairman by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., in 2021, where he 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. He is the first NCUA staff member to become an NCUA Board Member and Chairman. He holds an undergraduate degree in business analysis from Indiana University and a graduate degree in public policy from Harvard University.

Michael Ray is the Vice President of Business Development at PAHO/WHO Federal Credit Union in Washington, D.C. For nearly six years, Mr. Ray was President/CEO of Georgetown Federal Credit Union until it merged with PAHO/WHO Federal Credit Union in 2021 and previously served Congressional Federal Credit Union for 26 years. Michael is an International Development Educator, serving credit unions in Kenya and Russia. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and holds a master’s degree in counseling and psychology from Bowie State.

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About the African American Credit Union Hall of Fame History

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 accomplish two goals: One, to honor and recognize African Americans who have and are contributing to the credit union movement -- many who are unsung heroes and trailblazers. To be inducted you must have accomplished or achieved the following: 1) provided in excess of 10 years of service in the credit union industry; 2) worked to provide financial services for people in general; and 3) identify at least four significant accomplishments, which benefited African-Americans and access to financial capital for communities of color.

About the African-American Credit Union Coalition

The African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) was created to increase the strength of the global credit union community. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization of professionals and volunteers in the credit union industry. Over the years, AACUC has grown and is ever changing to meet the needs of the dynamic credit union community which it serves. AACUC has adopted the 8th Cooperative Principle and encourages all credit union and affiliated organizations to adopt it as well. AACUC has also created the Commitment to Change: Credit Unions Unite Against Racism Initiative and it has gained great momentum within the credit union industry. For more information, visit: www.aacuc.org or follow us on social media at: Facebook.com/AACUC1, Linkedin.com/company/AACUC, Twitter.com/AACUC1 or Instagram.com/aacucctc.