Sheilah Montgomery is an expert chief executive in the community and financial services industry. She is the President/CEO of Credit Union of Atlanta, where she manages a multi-million dollar budget, serve a diverse member base, and provide vision and leadership to staff at multiple branches. Prior to leading Credit Union of Atlanta, Sheilah was President/CEO of 1st Choice Credit Union in Atlanta, GA. As the chief executive of 1st Choice for over twenty years, Sheilah strategically transitioned the organization into a growth stage by delivering innovative, high impact financial services to a diverse member base in one of the nation’s largest markets. As a part of the organizational development strategy, she directed the efforts to expand operations to two branches, and guided the purchase/renovation of a new headquarters facility located in the historical Sweet Auburn District in Atlanta.
For almost four decades, Sheilah has been advancing the mission of the credit union movement while increasing the economic viability of individuals and communities. Acting on this passion, Sheilah partnered with several of the most influential credit union executives to establish the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC). As a founding member, Sheilah served as the first President and helped shape the organization’s identity, build the organization’s brand, increase public awareness and expand capacity and leadership influence. After her tenure as President, she remained in leadership as a Board member currently serving as Co-Chair of the Mentorship committee and Chair of the Marketing and Bylaws committee.
Sheilah is engaged in several community initiatives, programs and collaborative work groups centered on financial literacy, economic development and wealth building. She is a Board member of the Georgia Credit Union Executive Association, in which she was the first African-American President, the Atlanta Cooperative Development Corporation, and the Atlanta Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, the Atlanta Business League and the Concerned Black Clergy. She serves as a consultant of the Supervisory Committee of SPC Federal Credit Union (Atlanta), and is a member of The Georgia Credit Union Chapter, in which she served as the organization’s first African-American President.
As a well known and respected professional, Sheilah was recently selected as one of the 100 Most Influential African-American Women in Atlanta by the Atlanta Business League, Business Woman of the Year by Rolling out Magazine, and is a recipient of the 2009 Georgia Minority Business Heritage Award. She is a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Stone Mountain and frequently volunteers with schools and community groups to promote financial literacy among youth. She was the keynote speaker for several CU Conferences. Sheilah uses her non-profit leadership experience to train executives on Board relations and often leads groups in collaborative strategic planning.
Sheilah received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Clayton State University, is a graduate of the Southeast Regional Credit Union School (SRCUS) and completed the highly competitive credit union executive institute programs at the Wharton School of Business, Cornel University Business School, and Johnson School of Business where she was designed as a Certified Chief Executive. Sheilah resides in the Atlanta metropolitan area with her husband, Robert.
