Coastal Credit Union’s Creighton Blackwell Inducted into African American Credit Union Hall of Fame

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 4, 2026) – Coastal Credit Union's Chief Community Impact and Public Affairs Officer Creighton Blackwell is among the African American Credit Union 2026 Hall of Fame inductees.  The African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) inducted Blackwell and four other credit union leaders during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 3.

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.

“We’re thrilled to see Creighton being honored for his contributions to the industry, particularly for his efforts to empower underserved communities and serve members of modest means” said Tyler Grodi, Coastal’s President and CEO. “He does an incredible job of making sure that Coastal shows up well in our community and, much more important, he works tirelessly to ensure that the community has a strong voice within Coastal.” 

Blackwell was recognized for more than 30 years of leadership in business and community impact, including 15 years at Coastal. He has also served the industry in roles on the board of the National Credit Union Foundation, and the Coastal Credit Union Foundation. He actively serves on numerous nonprofit boards and has earned several awards for his contributions to the community.

Blackwell is Coastal’s second Hall of Fame inductee, joining Board Chair Joan Nelson, who was inducted in 2019.

About Coastal Credit Union

Coastal Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned, financial cooperative, offering a full range of financial products and services. Coastal was chartered on August 31, 1967, with the mission of fostering the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.”  Today, with $6.07 billion in assets, Coastal serves 344,000 members from 1,800 business partners and is among the leading financial institutions in North Carolina. Coastal operates 23 locations in central North Carolina and serves members in all 50 states through a network of 5,600 shared branches, 55,000+ surcharge-free ATMs, mobile banking featuring mobile check deposit, and a robust offering of online services at www.COASTAL24.com. For more Coastal news, visit our online newsroom.