OLYMPIA, Wash. (2/26/15)--Washington legislators took notice of state credit union advocates who gathered in Olympia on Feb. 19 for two reasons: Their wardrobe and the size of their group.

Washington credit union advocates, distinguished by their yellow scarves, visited all 156 legislative offices in Olympia, sharing the results of the economic impact report and the stories about the credit union difference. (Northwest Credit Union Association Photo)

Washington state credit union advocates were decked out in distinctive yellow scarves. The 150 advocates represented the largest showing of credit union support the state Capitol has ever seen, according to the Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA) (Anthem Feb. 25).

Representatives visited all 156 legislative offices to share the credit union difference with Washington lawmakers.

This is the third year Washington credit union advocates have worn the yellow scarves, in what has quickly become a tradition.

Advocates started the day by hearing from Washington Director of the Department for Financial Institutions Scott Jarvis, who is a member of the governor's cabinet. "This is a remarkable number of people," he said. "When legislators see a group of this size, they take notice."

After a send-off from the NWCUA governmental affairs team, advocates split up to strategically visit every legislative office, so that each lawmaker heard the credit union story from his or her constituents.

Advocates shared the recent economic impact report from ECONorthwest, which shows that Washington credit unions generated $4.9 billion in economic impact in 2014, employed more than 10,000 people in family wage jobs, and created $249 million in direct benefits for their members. In addition, each legislator received a report showing how his or her district benefited from the economic impact of credit unions.

"The not-for-profit cooperative credit union structure comes with an obligation--that we take seriously--to deliver real tangible value to the consumer," said Troy Stang, NWCUA president/CEO, told advocates. "You know you do that every day, and now the ECONorthwest research validates the value of the direct member benefits and their ripple impact through our local and state economy."