The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation has announced the addition of two industry veterans to their team. Jeff Hardin will join the Foundation on April 1 in the newly-created role of Director of Collaborative Programs. Creighton Blackwell joins as a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Jeff Hardin, CUDE
Mr. Hardin has served as a member of the Carolinas Credit Union League team for more than 17 years, currently as Director of Cooperative Initiatives. In his new role, he will collaborate on the Foundation’s key programs, including the organization’s robust scholarship and fund management programs, as well as grants offerings for Chapters, non-profits, small credit unions and credit union employees for disaster relief. In addition, Hardin will continue to lead the Principles & Philosophy Conference, which will now be presented through a key partnership between the League and the Foundation in collaboration with Credit Union Development Educators in North and South Carolina. This year’s conference is slated for October 19-21.
Creighton Blackwell, CUDE
Mr. Blackwell is the newest member of the Carolinas Foundation’s 15-member Board of Directors. He is currently the Chief Culture & Impact Officer (CCIO) for Coastal Credit Union and also serves as board chair for the Coastal Credit Union Foundation, a donor-advised fund at the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation. His decades-long commitment to philanthropy and service has led Blackwell to numerous board positions including the NC Council on Economic Education, Greater Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce’s Partnership for a Sustainable Community Foundation, the Triangle Martin Luther King Leadership Committee, the YMCA, Habitat for Humanity and many more. He has received extensive recognition for his charitable works including the Greater Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce 2020 Chair’s Award, NC Sustainable Energy Association’s Community Impact Award, The Triangle Business Journal’s inaugural Corporate Philanthropy Award and was an honoree of ESPN 99.9 The Fan’s Salute to Heroes.
In a statement, Foundation President Lauren Whaley noted, “The Foundation’s mission ‘to empower and inspire credit unions to enrich their communities’ is further solidified with both Jeff and Creighton’s addition.”
Jeff Hardin
Creighton Blackwell