CHAPEL HILL CARRBORO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2023 BLACK BUSINESS ALLIANCE BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR
“Doing good is simply good business,” says Creighton P. Blackwell Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Community Engagement Coastal Credit Union.
Blackwell is an accomplished financial professional and a financial education and community advocate for over 20 years on a local, as well as, national level.
Blackwell received the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Chamber of Commerce award on June 16, 2023 recognizing him as Black Business Alliance Businessperson of the Year. Since 2015, The Chamber has recognized exceptional businesses and business leaders in the greater Chapel Hill community.
Creighton Blackwell grew-up in Chapel Hill surrounded by many greater leaders.
Davis Blackwell. Photo courtesy of Chapelboro.
“My mentors are Howard Lee and my father, Davis Blackwell. Howard was the first African American mayor elected in Chapel Hill and the first African American to be elected mayor of any majority white city in the South. He also served as the chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Education. He, as well as my father, modeled and demonstrated that I should have a higher expectation of life and career.”
Creighton’s late father, Davis Blackwell, was a popular and well respected face in Chapel Hill hospitality industry. Wrote local journalist Art Chansky, “When I arrived at UNC and Chapel Hill, a Bostonian feeling very much out of place, my first meal was at “The Rat,” a famous restaurant recommended by a stranger. My waiter for that first meal was Davis Blackwell, who became a friend for my adult life and one of the faces that made visiting Chapel Hill so important to so many.”
Davis was the fourth full-time employee at The Rat, and Davis made thousands of friends during his 46 years there. Many alumni, and some athletes, will tell you their decisions to attend Carolina had to do with how comfortable Davis Blackwell made them feel on campus and recruiting visits. He was genuine; he loved Chapel Hill and being able to hold a job that took care of his family for decades.
Carrying on the Blackwell legacy of respect for neighbors and community, Creighton currently serves as the vice president of corporate affairs and community engagement after successfully holding the position of vice president of retail sales and service at Coastal Credit Union.
He has held upper level management positions at RBC Bank such as U.S. director of sales communications, community development specialist, manager of business banking strategy for North America, Chapel Hill market executive and banking center manager of nine different locations.
Creighton also has extensive community service experience serving on non-profit boards. Creighton is a graduate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, as well as the North Carolina School of Banking.
“I am a big supporter of the Triple Bottom line of Community Sustainability.” The triple bottom line is a business concept that speculates firms should commit to measuring their social and environmental impact—in addition to their financial performance—rather than solely focusing on generating profit, or the standard “bottom line.”
Creighton Blackwell at Triangle breast cancer awareness event
Creighton enjoys spending time presenting various professional and motivating topics at public events, as well as with his wife and three children.
