Katie BaileyCredit unions from across Virginia gathered in Richmond on January 20 – 22, for Virginia Credit Union Association’s Virginia Advocacy Summit, coming together to engage with lawmakers and advance key priorities during the Virginia General Assembly session.
This year’s Summit brought together 86 attendees, representing credit unions from across the state, who convened to share the credit union difference with policymakers at the Virginia State Capitol. Participants engaged in advocacy-focused programming designed to strengthen their understanding of legislative issues impacting credit unions and the members they serve.
Notable attendees included Senator Scott Surovell, Delegate Briana Sewell, and Principal Examiner of the National Credit Union Administration John Kren. Members of The League’s advocacy team also led sessions focused on current policy priorities, emerging legislative trends, and effective strategies for engaging with lawmakers throughout the session.
“At this year’s Advocacy Summit, we focused on advancing legislation and advocating for policy priorities such as expanding financial choice for public entities, preserving the current payments and interchange fee infrastructure, supporting affordable housing solutions, and increasing funding for the Virginia CDFI Fund,” said Nadine Slocum, Senior Director of Governmental Affairs for the Virginia Credit Union Association and The League. “By engaging directly with lawmakers, credit union leaders are able to share real-world impact stories that demonstrate how these priorities help credit unions better serve communities, protect consumers, and be strong stewards of local and taxpayer resources.”
By expanding the Summit to include three-day programming, Virginia Credit Union Association was able to dedicate additional time to advocacy training, issue education, and celebrating recent legislative and advocacy accomplishments. Attendees left better equipped to represent their credit unions and advocate on behalf of their members at the state level.
“Participating in this year’s Virginia Advocacy Summit was an invaluable experience,” said Danielle Crouch, Branch Manager of Northwest Federal Credit Union. “The Summit equipped us with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to effectively engage with lawmakers and advocate for policies that strengthen credit unions and the communities we serve, and I appreciate The League’s leadership in bringing our collective voice to the Capitol during this critical legislative session.”
The Virginia Credit Union Association also extends its gratitude to the system partners who helped make the Virginia Advocacy Summit possible, including TruStage, whose support continues to strengthen advocacy efforts across the credit union movement.
