Annual Meeting & Board Nominees Notice 

Friday, March 6, 2026 

Refreshments at 5pm | Business Meeting at 6pm | Ice Bears Game to Follow 

Knoxville Civic Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Jr. Dr, Knoxville, TN 37915 

MEETING INVITATIONS AND REGISTRATION LINK WILL BE SHARED IN JANUARY  

Credit unions are not-for-profit, member-owned cooperatives, governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of members who ensure the credit union is being managed in a sound and secure manner.  

The Nominating Committee, comprised of three active credit union members appointed by the Board of Directors, has entered the following nominees for consideration to the membership for the 2026 election to fill vacancies on the  

UT Federal Credit Union Board of Directors: 

Michael Carter 

Michael Carter is the Assistant Director of Advancement Services for the University of Tennessee Foundation. As a member of the Foundation leadership team, Mr. Carter provides strategic vision for systems implementation and advancement services support to the Foundation, UT Alumni Association, and UT System Wide Campuses. Mr. Carter is responsible for all aspects of systems support including Alumni and Donor Information, Business Intelligence, User Services, Enterprise Applications, Online Engagement, and Prospect Management and Research. He received both his BS degree cum laude in Management Information Systems and his MBA from Western Carolina University. Mr. Carter has been a UTFCU member since 1992. He served on the UTFCU Supervisory Committee from 2009-2019. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 2020.   

Trudy Hughes 

Ms. Hughes is the Chief Executive Officer of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Ms. Hughes, a native of East Tennessee, served as vice president of regional advancement at East Tennessee Foundation for nearly a decade prior to her current role. Prior to her tenure at East Tennessee Foundation, she worked with children’s advocacy organizations, held adjunct positions at several regional colleges and universities, and early in her career worked in banking. Ms. Hughes holds degrees in Finance (B.S.), Human Services (B.A.) & Community Counseling (M.Ed.), from University of Tennessee. Ms. Hughs has been a UT Federal Credit Union member since 2019 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2020. 

Michael (Mike) McNeil 

Mike McNeil retired from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2010 after working for 40 years in the information technology area. After retirement, Mr. McNeil has occasionally worked part-time on projects for the University of Tennessee Center for Business and Economic Research as well as lecturer for the Accounting and Information Management department of the University of Tennessee.  Mr. McNeil served on UTFCU’s Supervisory Committee from 2005 until 2008 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2008. In 2019, Mr. McNeil attended the Credit Union National Association’s Volunteer Certification. He received his bachelor’s degree from UT Knoxville and has been a member of the credit union since 1989. He was elected Board Chair in 2020. 

This nomination list was posted in branch offices and on the website at www.utfcu.org on 12/19/2025. 

In addition to the slate of nominees filed by the Nominating Committee, members have the opportunity to nominate themselves or another member by submitting a petition bearing the signatures of at least 258 UTFCU members by January 20, 2026. Each nominee by petition must submit a statement of qualifications, biographical data, and a signed statement agreeing to nomination and willingness to serve if elected.  

In compliance with UTFCU regulations, no ballots will be mailed. If there is a candidate by petition, a vote will be held at the Annual Meeting. No nominations will be taken from the floor at the meeting. Newly elected members to the Board of Directors will be announced at the Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 6, 2026.  

Any questions or inquiries should be directed to 865-971-1971, ext. 144, or hgomez@utfcu.org.