Proudly Introducing our 2023 Annie Vamper Helping Hands Award Winners!

Inclusiv is excited to announce two 2023 Annie Vamper Helping Hands Award winners at Inclusiv Conference 2023 in Memphis, TN. The award is named for Annie Vamper who dedicated her life to empowering financial inclusion for low-income people through credit unions and recognizes individuals who are making extraordinary contributions to the Community Development Credit Union (CDCU) movement. This year's awardees are Sue Cuevas, President and CEO, Nueva Esperanza Community Credit Union and Sheilah Montgomery, President of Florida A&M Federal Credit Union. Inclusiv is delighted to honor the legacy of Annie Vamper through these incredible CDCU trailblazers.

Sue Cuevas is the inaugural CEO for the first Latino credit union in Ohio, Nueva Esperanza Community Credit Union, chartered in 2010. Her passion and persistence to help the Latino, immigrant, and underserved/unbanked communities is what drives her commitment to sharing financial education and credit counseling opportunities with these communities. She has more than 30 years of experience working in the banking and financial industry. Sue has taught numerous classes on financial literacy and has developed bilingual education programs, focusing on first-time homebuyers in Northwest Ohio.

For more than forty-five years, Sheilah Montgomery has been advancing the mission of the credit union movement while increasing the economic capacity and financial well-being of individuals, businesses, and communities. Over the years, Sheilah has been in a leadership role with many credit unions including CEO for 1st Choice Credit Union, the Credit Union of Atlanta and is currently CEO of Florida A&M University Federal Credit Union (FAMU). She is a Certified Chief Executive (CCE), Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE), an International (South Africa) CUDE (I-CUDE) and is a co-founder of the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC). Sheilah and a fellow CUDEs started the financial literacy program for students at the AACUC called the Financial Reality Fair. For the last 9 years, the Financial Reality Fair has been an integral part of the AACUC conference.

“Advancing economic justice for the underserved is an important component of human dignity for the people and communities community development credit unions serve,” according to Cathie Mahon, Inclusiv President/CEO. "The credit union movement is honored to work with inspiring people like Sue and Sheilah who have a commitment to financial inclusion for everyone.”