If you can believe it, we have reached the final day of the 2026 Governmental Affairs Conference here in D.C. We heard discussions on Stablecoin and the evolution of payments; the future of the NCUA and its deregulation efforts; and key strategic priorities for credit unions—this week has been full of important conversations, great insights, and thought-provoking speakers.
But just because GAC is coming to a close does not mean our work is. Throughout today and the rest of the week, our credit union advocates will be hiking the hill and talking to policymakers about key credit union initiatives in over 600 meetings.
For you, dear readers, the work is far from over as well. As we have heard our speakers impress upon us all week, advocacy efforts and the telling of our credit union stories must be a consistent, communal effort. Our members’ needs must be heard year-round, not just during the first week in March. With our country in an affordability crisis and elections around the corner, the time to use your voice for your members is now.
And while today’s special report may be the last, it is certainly not the least, as day four tackled some incredibly important topics, such as the upcoming election, a young professionals panel that offered insights on how to mentor the next generation of credit union leaders, and five trends from our “Ed Talk” speaker of the day to help credit unions better connect with their audience.
Members of Congress speak
The day started with speeches from three strong credit union supporters in Congress, who shared a bit of the work they’re doing to protect cooperative finance in Washington, as well as a few tips on how credit unions can make the most out of their meetings this week.
First to the stage was Congressman Juan Ciscomani of Arizona. As a lifelong credit union member, Ciscomani has been a strong advocate for credit union initiatives and even spearheaded a bipartisan letter, signed by 36 members of the House, urging the protection of the credit union tax exemption status last year.
In speaking on his belief in the American dream, Ciscomani thanked credit unions for their role in making that dream possible. “You, with the access you’re giving people to the finances they would not otherwise have, you are helping people achieve their American dream every single day…I’m telling you right now, you are changing lives and impacting generations to come.”
In closing, Ciscomani reaffirmed his support for the CDFI fund as well as his continued protection of the tax exemption.
Next up was Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester from Delaware, a member of the Senate Banking Committee as well as the first woman and person of color ever elected to represent Delaware in the House and Senate. In her opening remarks, Rochester spoke about the challenging time our country is in, but noted that even in that struggle, credit unions bring joy.
“From the tough times to the good times…credit unions have been there. And I think that’s why you will see Democrats and Republicans fight and advocate for you.”
As a leader of the Credit Union Board Modernization Act, Rochester expressed her determination to see it succeed, declaring, “We are going to get that thing across the finish line and turn it into a bill. Because you should not be wasting time with things that you don’t need to waste time with. Your focus should be on getting the job done and serving your members and communities.”
Before leaving, Rochester shared with the room, “I have faith, I have joy, because I have you.”
The last politician to take the stage was Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey, the first Korean American to serve in the US Senate. Kim is a proud co-sponsor of the Credit Union Board Modernization Act and the new bipartisan AFFORD Act for the CDFI fund. Like the two before him, Kim reiterated his support for pro-credit union legislation, citing the important work credit unions do, particularly for military families.
“That’s why so much of what you do matters,” said Kim. “You are at the front lines of helping families manage these costs, access fair financial services, and keep the dream of home ownership within reach. You are on the front lines of protecting seniors and other vulnerable communities from fraud.”
However, Kim reminded credit unions that this work does not happen on its own; it happens as a result of partnerships between Congress and credit unions so they can both better serve their communities.
“So, let’s work together. You have a chance to show that government and community institutions can work together to lower costs and expand access, and be able to do what we can to stand up for the American family right now,” Kim concluded.
Credit unions as a worldwide movement
Taking activism to the global stage, Paul Treinen, President and CEO of the World Council of Credit Unions, came to provide a few updates on the work the organization is doing to support credit unions worldwide.
Those in attendance at last year’s GAC (or those who read our special report) might remember that 2025 was a bit of a chaotic time for WOCCU. In the middle of DOGE’s budget cuts, the shuttering of USAID, and stop work orders, WOCCU lost about one-third of its total budget, and was struggling to provide deliverables that had been promised for cooperative institutions overseas.
In response, WOCCU launched the Rally the Movement campaign in order to fund these initiatives. Now, a year later, Treinen was eager to share the success and impact of that work. Thanks to the $1.3 million generated in that campaign, WOCCU was able to bring aid to cooperatives in Ukraine, Guatemala, and Kenya.
In Ukraine, they were able to facilitate $1.2 million in loans to families affected by the war. In Guatemala, their efforts focused on expanding access to women and entrepreneurs, who lacked access to credit and other basic financial services. And in Kenya, WOCCU launched its SFE lending program, which resulted in small business loans totaling over $2 million, Treinen reported, before thanking everyone who donated for supporting the cause.
Treinen then transitioned into talking about the importance of advocacy on a global scale, as many regulations and standards determined at the international level eventually trickle down and become the framework for national and state laws. The job of the WOCCU, says Treinen, is to ensure that these include perspective, so that when they do reach a smaller scale, they include proportionality.
Finally, Treinen encouraged credit unions to attend the World Council of Credit Unions conference in Sydney, Australia, this July, because ensuring credit unions can continue doing what they do best “takes advocacy at every single level.”
America’s Credit Unions on the midterm election
Throughout this week at GAC, America’s Credit Unions has been stressing the importance of the upcoming midterm elections, both in advocating for pro-credit union candidates as well as actually showing up to the polls. To continue that message, Trey Hawkins, Head of Political Affairs, came to the mainstage to discuss the outlook for the election and share America’s Credit Unions’ priorities.
With a number of seats in both the House and the Senate, and the possibility for the former to change party hands, ACU is focusing on supporting incumbent candidates while also still “identifying future champions.” Using its PAC, America’s Credit Unions will be financially backing both Republicans (52%) and Democrats (48%).
However, while ACU may be investing a record $7.5 million into this year’s elections, banks are spending three to four times that amount to elect pro-bank candidates. Even more worrisome, ACU noted that Wall Street Banks are putting together a new PAC, capable of spending significantly more.
This is why credit union advocacy and that “unified voice” we have been hearing about all week is so important, according to Hawkins. Because beating the banks dollar for dollar is impossible; we must beat them with our stories and impact.
On that note, Hawkins issued a challenge for credit unions both at GAC and back home: ensure that GAC is not the end of your advocacy. Find the credit union champions in your state and work your tail off to make sure those champions win their races this fall. To figure out if you’re registered to vote, credit unions can visit creditunionsvote.org.
Young professionals panel
The next item on the agenda was a new concept to GAC, but a much-needed breath of fresh air. Many of the conversations happening on the mainstage, in breakout sessions, or in random conversations have been centered around the need to bring younger people into the credit union world, not just as members, but as board members, leaders, and advocates. However, many are at a loss as to how to achieve this goal.
In light of that, America’s Credit Unions brought a panel of young, emerging credit union leaders to the stage to share their experiences and their advice for how older credit union leaders can support and champion the next generation.
Featured on this panel were Jeremy Dunbar, CUDE, Human Resources Manager at La Capitol FCU, Aubrey Ward from Veridian Credit Union’s Board of Directors, Shawn Gamble, Government Relations Officer at Visions FCU, and Lashanta Green, Chief Engagement Officer for Park Community Credit Union. Gordon Holzberg, Legislative Advocacy Director at America’s Credit Unions moderated the panel.
When asked about the future of the credit union movement and what they would say to credit union executives, the panel expressed the need for representation and a seat at the table for the next generation of leaders. “The great thing about the table you’re sitting at now,” said Gamble, “is that there’s always room for an additional seat to be added.”
Ward echoed that statement, going on to say, “There are a lot of mergers happening in our industry due to a lack of succession planning, but there’s a whole room of young professionals ready to take that opportunity on. So bring them in and give them that opportunity.”
Sharing in sentiments expressed throughout the week, Green concluded by urging older credit union leaders to be open to different ways of doing things and reminded them that “different and difficult are being used simultaneously, when that’s not necessarily the case.”
Addressing Gamble, Holzberg asked how credit unions can help young leaders become credit union advocates, to which he responded that the key is going back to the basics. Young professionals are still learning, so talking about interchange, credit card competition, and the like is not going to resonate.
“We don’t know all of this. It’s going to take time to educate us. But be patient with us, develop us, grow us, and we will, over time, learn everything, and we will stick around.”
Getting board members can be a difficult task for many credit unions. Getting younger board members, even moreso. As a young board member, Ward was asked what drew her to engage in serving on a board. “They make it easy,” she said simply. From posting the call for board members on social media to offering a great work-life balance.
Following her thoughts, Dunbar stated that credit unions need to be intentional in bringing young members to the board. Just as credit unions create strategic plans for adopting new technologies like AI, they should be strategic and intentional in how they approach this effort.
In final thoughts, Holzberg asked the group what message they would impart to CEOs if they could ask them to do one thing, and the answer was resounding: connect, support, and offer opportunities.
“You won’t leave your imprint in this world following someone else’s blueprint. So give the next generation the opportunity to leave their imprint on things,” Green urged.
Dunbar urged credit unions not to view bringing on young professionals as a line item, but as a true relationship. “You have to make sure that you’re spending time with those individuals, having conversations with them to understand how they can be developed and be the next version of leaders that’s going to take over the credit union industry and ensure those 145 million members that we serve are truly taken care of.”
“Just reach out a hand,” Ward concluded. “They want to learn from you, and I promise, you will learn from them too.”
In closing, Holzberg gestured to the four young professionals on stage and reminded them that there are so many like them in their credit unions back home and in their communities. “There are so many others that need access, not just to your financial services, but to your knowledge, your help, and your membership. Please reach back and help lift everyone up.”
The art of non-obvious thinking
The final speaker of both the day and the 2026 Governmental Affairs Conference was three-time Wall Street Journal best-selling author and marketing expert, Rohit Bhargava. Bhargava’s thesis centers around truly understanding people and using that knowledge to create effective marketing and advertising. Because, as he puts it, “The people who understand people always win.”
“What we are getting paid to do is understand how people get persuaded, and you, credit unions, are trying to be persuasive, especially with these hill hikes. All of this comes from understanding people.”
However, the problem in persuading people, Bhargava claims, is the modern believeability crisis we are living in. Thanks to AI and deep fakes, people don’t trust advertising
“One thing is clear: we don’t know who to trust. It is a challenge that affects all of us. The lack of trust leads to the inability to imagine something different, think bigger, be open-minded, or shift your perspective. We have to be able to do things in a more trustworthy way.”
But in order to do things in a more trustworthy way, Bhargava asserts we have to learn how to speak the right language, and that skillset involves understanding what no one else is paying attention to. Or, in other words, non-obvious thinking.
Here are Bhargava’s five non-obvious trends that matter for credit unions:
- Instant knowledge: Nowadays, people expect that they’ll be able to learn something immediately and digest it quickly. How do you help people get smarter, faster? The ones who help people answer their questions are the ones who win. Ask yourself, “How do I answer the question I get asked all the time?” and then create content around it.
- Revivalism: As people become overwhelmed by new technology, they seek out nostalgic experiences that remind them of a simpler and more trustworthy time. Record players are a great example of this. The strategy, then, according to Bhargava, is to turn back the clock to create more trust. What did you use to do 10, 20, or 30 years ago that you could bring back?
- Human mode: Injecting human interaction back into experiences is key. Starbucks, for example, has a store staffed entirely with deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Some grocery stores are introducing intentionally slow checkout lines for people with dementia. How do we bring people back and use empathy as a strategy?
- Protective tech: Consumers expect that their technology will protect them (fraud alerts, for example), but now people expect AI to do it for them. How are you using technology to better protect your members?
- Flux commerce: As the lines between industries blur and companies take on new roles (Bhargava used the Taco Bell hotel and Crayola makeup line as examples), this leads to constant industry disruption. Innovate by thinking outside your industry.
All good things
Well, as they say, readers, all good things must come to an end, and I’m afraid that’s the case with our time here at the 2026 Governmental Affairs Conference. Thank you for joining me this week. I hope that, even if you couldn’t be with us in D.C. in person, these special reports offered some helpful insights and that you learned something you can bring back to your credit unions and use to support your members.
But remember, the work continues at home. As Scott Simpson said today in his closing address, “145 million Americans trust you with their financial building, but two-thirds of America don’t know the transformative power of cooperative finance. Let’s go out and shape the future.”
Though the conference is over, keep an eye out for more GAC content in the coming weeks, including key takeaways and an exclusive interview with Scott Simpson, the new CEO and President of America’s Credit Unions. See you next year!
