AACUC Announces 2024 African American Credit Union Hall of Fame Honorees

The African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) will induct five credit union leaders into its African American Credit Union Hall of Fame during its Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony during the Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. on March 5, 2024 at the National Museum for African American History and Culture. The 2024 honorees are:

• 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 Trunzo, President Emeritus, TruStage (formerly CUNA Mutual Group)

The African American Credit Union Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have contributed to the credit union movement by providing financial services and access to financial capital for African Americans and people of color.

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 CU 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 President Emeritus 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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