Collective Empowerment Group 
of the Tampa Bay Area, Inc.

The Collective Empowerment Group (CEG) began as a consortium of churches, represented by their pastors. The organization is now a consortium of interfaith, business and community leaders, engaged in a broad range of programs pursuing social and economic justice for under-served communities.

The CEG's predecessor, the Collective Banking Group, Inc. (CBG) was formed in 1995 as a result of concerns raised by pastors and church members in Prince Georges County, located in the Metropolitan D.C. area, regarding inequitable access to services provided by local banks and businesses. Churches were faced with severe challenges due to redlining and other questionable practices. As a result, a group of pastors met to discuss the means by which to gain economic empowerment and justice in their business dealings.

In the Summer of 2011, the National CBG voted to become the National CEG — Collective Empowerment Group — to better reflect the group's total efforts, which have grown to include healthcare, home saving and affordable housing, in addition to strong banking.

​

In 2016, the CEGTBA became a chapter of the National Collective Empowerment Group, Inc. formed at the recommendation of Rev. Dr. R. Joaquin Willis, President and CEO of CEG of South Florida, Inc. The CEGTBA is a group of faith-based, business and community leaders collectively committed to leveraging assets and resources in order to attract capital and stimulate economic and community development for the purpose of eliminating poverty by creating wealth. The CEGTBA dictum is “Buying, building, and banking collectively to nurture health, achieve economic empowerment, and build community wealth.”

 

The current officers of the CEGTBA are as follows: Pastor Louis M. Murphy, Sr., Board Chair; Imam Askia Muhammad Aquil, Interim President and CEO; Bishop Thomas Scott, Vice Chair-Hillsborough County; and Pastor Clarence Williams, Treasurer.