CEO
Local Government Federal Credit Union
Maurice R. Smith is the CEO of Local Government Federal Credit Union and Civic FCU. Both are financial cooperatives serving the financial needs of employees, appointed officials, elected officeholders and volunteers of local governments in North Carolina. Maurice began his career in financial services as a loan officer for State Employees’ Credit Union, where he served in several capacities including vice president/city executive and vice president of marketing/training. Maurice joined LGFCU in 1992 as the Executive Vice President and was promoted to President in 1999 and later CEO. Civic was chartered in 2017.
Maurice received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and earned a Juris Doctorate from the NC Central University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in North Carolina, the District of Columbia and before the United States Supreme Court. He is also a North Carolina Certified Superior Court Mediator.
Maurice achieved a NC Real Estate Brokers License, Certified Credit Union Executive Designation and attended several management and marketing schools. He is the recipient of the 2020 Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement, presented by The National Credit Union Foundation, and the 2019 Annie Vamper Helping Hands Award, given by Inclusiv in recognition of those who make extraordinary contributions to the credit union movement. Maurice is also the recipient of the 2019 Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC). The AACUC also created the Maurice R. Smith Fund in his honor, to provide scholarships to credit union personnel for training that furthers their careers.
He and his wife have two children and live in Cary, North Carolina. He is a Deacon at Wake Chapel Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and participates in several community and civic activities.
Maurice is a self-proclaimed cooperative nerd. He believes that a business model that empowers its members to engage in democratic, self-help, classless principles is superior to other business types. As a fan of credit union ideals, Maurice is avid about his beliefs.