HOPE Credit Union to enter Atlanta market through 1st Choice acquisition
The merger, which should be wrapped up by the fall, will create an institution with more than 48,000 members across a six-state footprint.
In a strategic move to expand its footprint in the Deep South, Hope Credit Union announced plans to merge with 1st Choice Credit Union in Atlanta, a $31.2 million-asset institution serving healthcare workers and surrounding communities.
Founded in 1946 as Hospital Authority Credit Union, 1st Choice has built a legacy of financial services aimed at improving the financial health of Grady Health System employees and their families, HOPE said in a press release.
With approximately 7,600 members, 1st Choice has maintained a strong presence in the Sweet Auburn Historic District and at Grady Hospital, as well as partnerships with leading institutions like Emory School of Medicine and the Morehouse School of Medicine.
Billy Wright, Chief Financial Officer at Grady Health System, emphasized the continuity of the merger, noting that the organization looks forward “to partnering with Hope Credit Union to continue, and expand, this 79-year legacy.”
The $739 million-asset HOPE, which is one of the largest Black- and women-owned financial institutions in the country, has long focused on empowering under-resourced communities through financial services, advocacy and investment.
Bill Bynum, CEO of HOPE, said the merger is an opportunity to deepen relationships with local healthcare providers, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other community anchors across the region.
“This partnership will substantially advance our goal of catalyzing an ecosystem across the Deep South where everyday people have the resources they need to prosper,” Bynum said in the release.
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Once completed, the merger will bolster HOPE’s network, which spans urban and rural communities throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
With a shared mission of driving financial inclusion and community development, the merger marks a significant milestone for both institutions, the companies said.
HOPE assumed management of 1st Choice in July and aims to finalize the merger by fall.
HOPE earned roughly $120,000 in the first two quarters of 2025, a 9% decrease compared to a year earlier, according to call report data from the National Credit Union Administration.
1st Choice lost more than $800,000 in the first half of 2025 after reporting losses of more than $2.6 million in 2024.
“This partnership will substantially advance our goal of catalyzing an ecosystem across the Deep South where everyday people have the resources they need to prosper.”
– Bill Bynum
CEO
HOPE Credit Union
