2023 Awards Gala

Thank You for Joining Us!

The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation welcomed more than 300 attendees to its inspirational Annual Awards Gala on February 7, 2024. Coastal CU Chief Community Impact and Public Affairs Officer Creighton Blackwell returned as emcee to lead the evening’s recognition of Hero Award honorees and state-level winners. we would like to thank our many generous sponsors below for making this event possible!

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2023 Hero Awards Honorees

More About the Hero Honoree

Over a 45-year career, Cathy Pace provided exceptional servant leadership and vision at Allegacy FCU and in the community. She was instrumental in the credit union’s name change in 2001 and the development of a comprehensive and distinctive brand for Allegacy. Rooted in the words Allegiance and Legacy, her leadership and vision helped transform Allegacy through the years, and established a culture of wellbeing for employees that helped define the rebranding effort and focused it on member and community wellbeing. Further, she has been recognized as among the Triad’s Most Admired CEOs, Triad’s Top 50 Most Influential People, Triad Power Player (multiple years), Women in Business, and Business Leader’s Women Extraordinaire. She was named as one of five Outstanding Women Leaders of Winston-Salem for 2020 as a result of her leadership and business achievements, and her exceptional mentoring to future women leaders in our community and the credit union.

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Penny Pratt has humbly demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities throughout her distinguished credit union career. President/CEO of Family Trust for seven years, she successfully navigated the organization through both prosperous and challenging times, including a global pandemic, bank closures, and economic instability. Her steady and unwavering leadership style ensured Family Trust’s continuing growth, strength, and reliability for members. Her leadership style has fostered a culture of unity, respect, excellence in service, and encourages self-development of employees in all areas. In addition, Penny is a two time recipient of the Rotarian of the Year Award in recognition of her service to the community.

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A 30-year credit union veteran, Robert Wilson joined the credit union movement as Comptroller for the Carolina Corporate Credit Union. He subsequently joined the former Anderson Federal Credit Union in 1997 as their Controller, becoming President/CEO in 1998 until 2021, when the credit union partnered with Spero Financial. His leadership at Anderson sparked the growth of the credit union and cemented its legacy as a valuable community resource. He expanded service to underserved communities, while leading the credit union as it more than doubled its assets during his CEO tenure. Robert has served on the South Carolina Credit Union League Board; served as Treasurer of South Carolina Credit Union Management Association (SCUMA); served on the Supervisory Committee of the First Carolina Corporate Credit Union; as well as on the Board of Directors of the Piedmont Chapter for Credit Unions (now Upstate Chapter).

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Kelly Nix centered community involvement, employee engagement and empowerment, and leadership by example during the re-branding of REV FCU. Kelly’s signature event is the annual REV Day for Good initiative. Each year during Indigenous People’s Day, REV closes its branches as employees open their hearts by volunteering in the community. Kelly created an opportunity for every REV employee, in both North and South Carolina, to come together and volunteer in a single day. In 2023, REV collectively donated over 1300+ hours, supporting 23 non-profits in communities in the Carolinas served by the credit union. Since transitioning to REV in 2020, REV staff have donated 5,494 Hours by supporting over 100 non-profits and community organizations. Over this same time, Kelly has personally supported the American Heart Association Lowcountry Heart Walk, MUSC Children’s Hospital, Happy Wheels, Meals on Wheels, and many more. She has logged 183 hours of her own time to help these organizations.

More About the Hero Honoree

Neighbors United has always sought to serve all people in the community, but understands that the true mission of a credit union is to not only reach the underserved, but hear their needs and create the products and services to equitably address those needs. Volunteerism and partnering with local nonprofits, as well as soliciting member feedback, has helped the credit union create relationships that facilitate honest and strong lines of communication in its seven-county service area in pursuit of its service goals. The results of these partnership efforts include the delivery of financial education in the community, having multiple certified financial counselors on staff to assist members, and the credit union’s service to the Hispanic community. Neighbors United recently earned the Juntos Avanzamos (“Together We Advance”) designation from Inclusiv, the first South Carolina credit union to earn the designation. Juntos Avanzamos is a prestigious designation granted to credit unions committed to assisting unbanked and underbanked populations, particularly within the Hispanic community while protecting them from predatory lending practices.