FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2021
Washington, DC

Credit Union National Association (CUNA)today announced two new hires to help advance our legislative and housing advocacy priorities.  

Abby Gunderson-Schwarz joins CUNA as Senior Director of Advocacy where she will lead lobbying efforts to the Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to joining CUNA, Gunderson-Schwarz worked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. Gunderson-Schwarz worked on Capitol Hill for 11 years, previously supporting Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) and now-retired Reps. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Scott Rigell (R-VA), and Doug Lamborn (R-CO). Gunderson-Schwarz holds a bachelor’s from Wheaton College and a master’s in business administration from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. 

“Abby has a deep understanding of intergovernmental relations and recognizes the importance of building strong working relationships with Congressional leaders and their staff,” said CUNA Chief Advocacy Officer Ryan Donovan. “We are happy to have Abby join our team and I am confident that she will further strengthen CUNA’s bipartisan approach to advocacy.”

Elizabeth LaBerge has been appointed as the Senior Director of Advocacy & Counsel. In her role at CUNA, LaBerge will advocate on a number of policy areas, with a particular focus on housing and housing finance policy. LaBerge brings six years of credit union experience to CUNA, with a specialty in mortgage servicing, privacy law, and regulatory cybersecurity requirements. Prior to joining CUNA, LaBerge served as the Senior Regulatory Counsel at the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU) and as a Litigation Associate at Shapiro & Morely, LLC. LaBerge holds a bachelor’s from the University of Central Florida and a juris doctor from Stetson University College of Law.

“Elizabeth’s experience as an attorney representing creditors, and the commitment that she has shown to strengthen the credit union movement will be a valuable addition to our advocacy team,” said Elizabeth Eurgubian, CUNA Deputy Chief Advocacy Officer & Senior Counsel. “We welcome Elizabeth and look forward to her leadership on housing and mortgage policy.” 

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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