FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2021
Washington, DC

Former U.S. National Security Advisor, Lt. General H.R. McMaster provided strategies to guide organizations through periods of uncertainty during his speech today at the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC).

“Credit unions are in a great place to help bring our communities together and to have the kind of respectful, meaningful, civil discussions we need to have as Americans to strengthen our identity and who we are as a people,” said Lt. General McMaster.

Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) President/CEO Anthony Hernandez moderated the discussion which centered around the importance of building strategic competence. Lt. General McMaster encouraged leaders to establish a common understanding of their organizational mission, prepare key stakeholders for the worst-case scenario, and create a training environment to prepare the organization to work together as a team.

Lt. General McMaster touched on the importance of assessment and collaboration throughout his speech, stressing the need to routinely measure a company’s performance to ensure it aligns with the organizational mission, particularly under difficult conditions.

When asked about leadership and implementation, Lt. General McMaster paid homage to Ulysses S. Grant and said good leaders “lead from the front.” Lt. General McMaster’s approach to strategic competence is built on four pillars from his time of service: thinking about the nature of the problem, presenting multiple options to leadership, creating a nonpartisan implementation process, and maintaining honesty with key stakeholders.

“Credit unions have strong leadership, strong connections to the community,” said Lt. General McMaster. “They can be a real fulcrum for positive change at the local level.”

McMaster served in the White House as National Security Advisor (2017-2018) and is a nationally recognized authority on leadership, global security and international affairs.

This keynote session was sponsored by CO-OP Financial Services.

Read more conference coverage from CUNA News, and get live updates on Twitter via @CUNANews, @cumagazine, @CUNA, and by using the #CUNAGAC hashtag. You can also follow the conference on Facebook and Instagram. For a complete schedule and information on keynote speakers and breakout sessions, visit the CUNA GAC event page. 

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About CUNA:           
Credit Union National Association (CUNA) is the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America’s credit unions, which are owned by 120 million consumer members. CUNA, along with its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, delivers unwavering advocacy, continuous professional growth and operational confidence to protect the best interests of all credit unions. For more information about CUNA, visit cuna.org. To find your nearest credit union, visit YourMoneyFurther.com.

CONTACT:
Lauren Williams
CUNA Communications
202-672-3396