SNELLVILLE, GA – The African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) inducted five industry leaders into its African American Credit Union Hall of Fame at the historic Organization of American States Building in Washington, DC during the Governmental Affairs Conference.

“I continue to be blown away with the Hall of Fame Inductees,” said Renée Sattiewhite, AACUC President/CEO. “This year’s Honorees have regional, national and international impact and represent the best of collaboration at all levels of the Credit Union Onion, from credit union and league to volunteer and service provider. And it’s only fitting that the Honorees shared their extraordinary, personal journeys in such a historic atmosphere that has housed countless foreign dignitaries and consequential international decisions.”

AACUC’s signature event, which was founded as a fundraiser, continues to honor and recognize individuals who have and are contributing to the credit union movement by providing access to financial capital for African-Americans and majority-ethnic communities. More than 400 eventgoers participated in the celebration.

This year’s honorees included:

• John Bratsakis, President/CEO, MD|DC Credit Union Association
• Maurice Dawkins, President/CEO, American Spirit Federal Credit Union
• Karen Madry, President/CEO, Afena Federal Credit Union
• Anthony Taylor, Board Director, Ascend Federal Credit Union
• Robert N. Trunzo, Retired President/CEO, TruStage (formerly CUNA Mutual Group)

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.

Maurice Dawkins has served as CEO of American Spirit Federal Credit Union since 2003. Under his leadership, American Spirit has grown to $78 million in assets, expanded into under-served areas of Delaware, been recognized as one of the top U.S. credit unions and received a Five-Star Bauer Financial rating for its financial strength. With over 30 years of operational leadership in the financial industry, he has built diverse teams to support business growth while leading change to drive peak organizational performance. He holds a B.S. in Accounting and a minor in Business Management from Thomas College. He serves as AACUC Eastern Regional Chapter president, among other boards.

Karen Madry is the President/CEO of Afena Federal Credit Union and the first African American Chairwoman of the Indiana Credit Union League. Her national and international influence includes chairing CUNA's Small Credit Union Committee, earning recognition from the World Council of Credit Unions for the League’s hurricane relief efforts in Domnica and receiving the League’s Global Good Award for her involvement in international projects. A popular speaker and often featured in trade publications, she has transformed the Afena FCU by emphasizing a holistic approach and building strong community relationships. Under her leadership, it has achieved remarkable growth, obtained CDFI status and expanded the field of membership.

Anthony Taylor is the first African American appointed to Ascend Federal Credit Union’s Board Development Committee. He has served the Board and Supervisory Committee over 19 years. As Chairman, the credit union experienced remarkable asset and member growth, making it the largest credit union in middle Tennessee and one of the largest in the state. He has been instrumental in ensuring Ascend has a high-performing Board that serves the best interests of its members by prioritizing board governance efforts and ensuring the Board reflects the diversity of the membership. He holds a B.S. from Middle Tennessee State University and a J.D. from the Nashville School of Law.

Robert N. Trunzo is the retired President/CEO of TruStage. He is known for his focus on shaping a more inclusive company and contributing to a more equitable industry and community. Examples of his contributions include forming TruStage Ventures™ Discovery Fund benefitting fintech companies led by BIPOC, LGBTA+ and woman founders and pledging resources and financial support to ACCOSCA for establishing a lending education program in Africa. Mr. Trunzo is a founding member of CU DEI Collective and a founding investor in the FinHealth fund. By partnering with Inclusiv, he helped increase the number of CDFIs and access to $12 billion in new funding for CDFIs and MDIs.

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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 serve as a fundraiser and 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, individuals must meet the following criteria: 1) provided in excess of 10 years of service in the credit union industry; 2) worked to provide financial services for the general public; and 3) contributed at least four significant accomplishments that provided access to financial capital for African-Americans and majority-ethnic communities. Learn more at https://www.aacuc.org/aacuc-hof/.

About the African-American Credit Union Coalition

The AACUC is a 501c3 non-profit organization created in 1999 to increase diversity within the credit union community through advocacy and professional development. A recipient of the 2022 Anchor Award from the National Credit Union Foundation for its leadership and global efforts unifying financial industries in eradicating racism amid the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest in 2020, AACUC has become an all-encompassing organization for executives, professionals, volunteers, consultants and regulators within the financial services industry. AACUC is considered a leader in the credit union movement, adopting the 8th Cooperative Principle (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and enabling credit unions to become more diverse and inclusive. Learn more at www.aacuc.org or on social media at Facebook.com/AACUC1, Linkedin.com/company/AACUC, X.com/AACUC1 or Instagram.com/aacucctc.