$5.5 Million Awardee
Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU), of Durham, N.C., is using its 2007 $5.5 million prize to support its rapid expansion. Founded in 2002 in response to violence against Latino residents in North Carolina, LCCU now has more than 42,000 members. It was the first multicultural financial institution in North Carolina to provide all of its services in Spanish and English, without discriminating in pricing. LCCU now also serves African and European populations. LCCU has branches in Durham, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Fayetteville and plans to expand to three new markets with the help of the investment provided by this Wachovia NEXT Award. LCCU partners with the State Employees Federal Credit Union in an innovative partnership that has made its meteoric growth possible. “Our mentality is that we don’t know barriers, and we don’t know limits. If the system is not prepared to welcome you, you need to change the system,” said Luis Pastor, CEO of Latino Community Credit Union, and recipient of the 2007 $5.5 million award.