CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle welcomed 895 first-time attendees to the 2020 Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) Sunday, a record number.

He encouraged the group to share unique stories of how their credit unions change members’ lives and advance the communities they serve.

Many trade associations hire people to deliver advocacy messages, Nussle says. “We do it differently by putting you forward to tell your unique story. You tell it better than anyone. This has a lot more impact on legislators, and lasts longer in their memory bank.”

He also encouraged attendees to share with legislators how data breaches harm their members, and how regulatory burden hurts their ability to serve members.

“Your being here reinforces why we have our cooperative tax status and drives our differentiation into the future,” Nussle says. “We want to continue to be that differentiator for members in the future.

“Legislators want to hear from you. Be proud and tell your story of how you serve your members.”

Credit union leaders have arranged more than 600 meetings with members of Congress during the GAC, says Todd Spiczenski, CUNA’s chief products and services officer.

“None of this happens without our league partners,” he says. “One CUNA and 35 leagues representing 50 states shows the collaborative power of the credit union system.”

►Visit CUNA News for more conference coverage and get live updates on Twitter via @CUNA_News, @cumagazine, @CUNA, and #CUNAGAC. Follow the conference on Facebook and Instagram, and visit cuna.org/gac for more information.