Four credit union executives were named to the inaugural class of the African American Credit Union Hall of Fame Tuesday during a reception at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington.
The inductees included William Bynum, president/CEO for the $178 million Hope Federal Credit Union in Jackson, Miss.; Michael Hall, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for the $1.2 billion Arizona Federal Credit Union in Phoenix; Clarence Hall Jr., president/CEO for the $1.2 million Issaquena County Federal Credit Union in Marysville, Miss., and Sheilah Montgomery, retired president/CEO for the $70 million Credit Union of Atlanta and founder of the African American Credit Union Coalition.
Lynette Smith, AACUC chair, said the four executives named to the Hall of Fame have provided expertise in leadership, governance, strategic thinking, bridge building and finance, among other attributes.
"The AACUC would not be the organization that it is today without the influences of the Hall of Famers," Smith said. "We stand on the shoulders of giants."
The idea of establishing an African American Credit Union Hall of Fame and creating its website was developed by Helen Godfrey Smith, a founding board member of the AACUC. She also serves as the AACUC funding development chair.
Smith said the project was long overdue.
"This is our effort to call attention to the valuable contributions and to honor the African American trailblazers for their commitment and sacrifice," she said.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
