Local Government FCU chief to receive AACUC's top honor

Maurice Smith, CEO of Local Government Federal Credit Union in Raleigh, N.C., has been named the 2019 winner of the Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award from the African-American Credit Union Coalition.

Smith has spent 35years in the credit union movement, including serving as chairman of the board for the Credit Union National Association. AACUC credited the long-time leader’s passion for politics and credit union affairs as two components that have fueled his multi-decade commitment to the industry.

Along with Smith’s work with LGFCU and CUNA, he has been an AACUC board director, served on multiple CUNA committees and on the Accounting Standards Committee at the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions.

As Credit Union Journal has reported, Smith is one of a handful of African-American chief executives in the industry, which despite rising diversity of membership has struggled to increase diversity in the C-suite.

AACUC will bestow the honor on him during the group’s annual conference this August in North Carolina.

“We are proud of Maurice Smith’s accomplishments and look forward to honoring him in Charlotte,” AACUC Board Chairman Adrian S. Johnson said in a statement.

More coverage of the African-American Credit Union Coalition can be found here and here, while information on recent Pete Crear Award winners can be found here and here.