LAS VEGAS – Renée Sattiewhite, president of the African American Credit Union Coalition, has been named the winner of the inaugural Neoteric Changemaker Award by the CU Leadership Convention.

According to the organization, the national award recognizes one individual who has demonstrated “personal perseverance, advanced the cause of people, helping, people, advocated for relevant ideation, and created positive programming for leaders.”

The CU Leadership Convention said the unique name of the award was selected because it represents the literal meaning of the word neoteric:  A modern person who advocates for new ideas.

“Modernizing the social impact of the credit union industry is vital to sustainability and to robust connection with future generations,“ noted Susan Mitchell, chair of the Neoteric Changemaker Award Governance Committee and president of Mitchell Stankovic Associates. “We must urgently pursue ways to revitalize our cooperative vision to what is relevant in today’s society and only aspirational leadership can do it.”

‘Passionately Agreed’

The CU Leadership Convention said in announcing the award that all those serving on the inaugural award committee “passionately agreed” Sattiewhite has “enhanced the credit union movement, emphasized the critical need for diversity, pioneered allyship and relentlessly advocated for all humans. She speaks for equity. She challenges those who step away. She also has shown that it takes bravery and some personal risk when advocating for change knowing that if one stands alone, eventually others will join her,” the organization said.

The award will be presented to Sattiewhite at the 46th CU Leadership Convention in Las Vegas in July.

An ‘Honor’

“The creation of the award is to honor an individual who has overcome tremendous challenges to create change in the credit union movement and was very clear that the first award should go to Renée as she is the definition of changemaker,” said Dennis Sullivan, committee member and chair of the CU Leadership Convention. “There are few people who have done so much for the industry and made DEI a rallying cry for all credit unions nationwide.”

Committee Members

Members who served on the committee in the formation of the award and determination of this year’s winner include:

• John Bratsakis, MD|DC Credit Union Association

• Pablo DeFilippi, Inclusiv

• Michelle Nearon. senior associate dean, Yale University

• John Cassidy, TruStage

• Merry Pateuk, PSCU

• Emma Hayes, SECU

• John Bissell, CEO of Greylock Credit Union AACUC Board director