Carrying the New York state flag, New York Credit Union Association President/CEO William Mellin, along with Board Chair Robyn Young, joined the 2023 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference opening ceremony, representing New York’s credit unions on Monday, Feb. 27.

Attendees heard from Jim Nussle, CUNA president, who delivered a warm welcome to the record-number of CUNA GAC registrants – 6,000 – and began his remarks in a light-hearted manner with of spoof of the hit TV series “Yellowstone.”

As attendees were gearing up to meet with legislators Tuesday and Wednesday, Nussle stated the importance of advocacy, and that it starts with a compelling story when speaking with legislators.

“Tell your story and back it up with data,” Nussle said. Credit unions “are and always have been the consumer protectors in America and that is not going to change.”

The general session rounded out with speakers including Peter Diamandis, founder/executive chairman of XPRIZE Foundation, executive chairman, Singularity University, and author; and a series of breakout sessions focusing on relevant credit union issues.

Hike the Hill
Many CUNA GAC attendees and Association leadership will be hiking the Hill Tuesday and Wednesday, meeting with legislators discussing a slew of issues, including the credit card interchange bill (opposed) as previous interchange amendments have failed and even hurt consumers; data security (supporting standardizing data security), overdraft reform (opposed as to protect the lifeline many working class families elect to use and rely on); and the SAFE Act (of which the Association supports financial safe harbors for legal businesses), among other issues.

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