ICYMI: Teri Williams Named BECMA Vanguard Awards Lifetime Achievement Honoree

We are honored to announce Teri Williams as our Lifetime Achievement Award honoree at the BECMA Vanguard Awards on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual whose career reflects sustained leadership, influence, and impact, shaping industries, institutions, and communities over decades while advancing opportunity for others. Teri Williams embodies this legacy.

Teri Williams is President and Chief Operating Officer of OneUnited Bank, the nation's largest Black-owned bank and award-winning Community Development Financial Institution. Under her leadership, OneUnited Bank has consolidated four banks and launched a digital platform to create a powerful national brand supported by innovative technology, products, and services. The bank serves as a bridge by offering affordable financial services and promoting financial literacy.

 Williams brings 30 years of financial services expertise from premier institutions including Bank of America and American Express, where she was one of the youngest Vice Presidents. She holds an M.B.A. with honors from Harvard Business School and a B.A. with distinctions from Brown University.

Williams founded the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts and continues to serve on multiple boards including CCC Intelligent Solutions, a leading SaaS platform powering the multi-trillion-dollar P&C insurance economy, the 79th Street Corridor Initiative in Miami, and The Partnership for Miami, a board of business leaders creating a prosperous and thriving Miami for all residents.

She is the author of I Got Bank! What My Granddad Taught Me About Money, a financial literacy book for urban youth, demonstrating her commitment to economic empowerment across generations.

Williams has received numerous recognitions including being named one of the 150 Most Influential Bostonians by Boston Magazine, 50 Over 50 by Forbes Magazine, and The Trayvon Martin Foundation 2025 Champion for Justice and Peace Award. She has been honored for her contributions to urban communities by the Urban League, NAACP, and other community organizations.