Press
After 70 Years of Service, Elizabeth Hamilton Steps Down from the Summit Credit Union Board of Directors
GREENSBORO, NC (April 26, 2013) — Elizabeth N. Hamilton began her credit union career as teenager in 1943 when she became the Secretary of the Board of Directors of Tri-City Telco Credit Union, now Summit Credit Union. After 70 years of continuous service, with her three-year term expiring, she did not seek reelection at Summit Credit Union’s Seventy-Eighth Annual Meeting held on April 25, 2013, in Greensboro, NC.
Sis, as she is known by nearly everyone, served as the CEO of Summit Credit Union for 55 years, retiring from the position in 2003. During that time she managed as many as five other credit unions while running Summit Credit Union.
Hamilton’s seven-decade tenure in the credit union movement is extraordinary. Research conducted by the North Carolina Credit Union League indicates that she is the longest-serving volunteer in the history of credit unions in the United States.
Hamilton has been a leader and the local, state, and national levels. She spent 12 years on the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS) Council Board, 21 years on Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Board, and 25 years on the North Carolina Credit Union League Board as the first female board member.
Her career has gained her numerous accolades in the industry including the 2003 prestigious Order of Longleaf Pine (from the Governor of NC) and the 2007 Larry Johnson Order of Merit Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest award presented to NC credit union leaders. In 2012 she was named North Carolina Credit Union Volunteer of the Year.
Summit Credit Union honored Sis with a reception following the annual meeting and presented her with a check representing a $25,000 donation to The Elizabeth “Sis” Hamilton Scholarship Fund, which awards educational scholarships to Summit Credit Union members each year.
There is no doubt Sis is leaving behind a great legacy of helping countless thousands of hard-working credit union members improve their financial well-being and build a better life. Her presence on the Board of Directors and in the credit union industry will be greatly missed.
Summit Credit Union has assets of $138.8 million and positions itself as an employee benefit serving over 180 employers with roughly 24,000 members in North Carolina. Summit operates with branch offices in Greensboro (2), Winston- Salem (2), and one each in Raleigh and Hickory.