Page 5 - Contact Q1 2016 - final

From the Desk of…

With the 2016 election on the horizon, advocacy in all forms
is particularly important this year. As a result, we will be
calling on our credit unions throughout the year to
collaborate with us in solidarity.

This begins with encouraging legislators in your district to
support the Michigan Credit Union Act update. Next, we
suggest getting involved in CUNA’s Member Activation
Program (MAP), which mobilizes members for advocacy. Then,
consider voting for MCUL-endorsed candidates that support
our mission and goals.

Many of you will be reading this during CUNA’s annual
Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) in Washington, D.C.,
and we hope representatives from your credit union will also
join us for our Michigan GAC, April 20–21 in Lansing.

MCUL & Affiliates We encourage you to meet with lawmakers throughout the year,
President & CEO whether through chapter legislative breakfasts, credit union visits
David Adams or other functions. These conferences, however, are a crucial
opportunity for you to deepen your relationships with legislators.
Not only do these events give all of us a chance to interact with
our elected officials, they show the power our industry can wield
when we join together as “partners in advocacy.”

This advocacy partnership happens in a number of ways.
From pooling resources for a stronger voice, to promoting
our causes or countering misinformation about our industry,
a unified message speaks the loudest. Credit unions from
across Michigan have collaborated with us in our ongoing
efforts to modernize the Michigan Credit Union Act. We, as a
league, have partnered with CUNA for a combined “one-two
punch” of local, statewide and federally based advocacy. We
unite with our members when we give them the tools to
advocate for us, by encouraging lawmakers to support the
credit union tax exemption or ensuring that retailers—and not
credit unions—are held accountable for costly data breaches.

Inside this issue of Contact, you’ll find a variety of stories
focused on credit union advocacy. We’ll profile a CEO and a
chapter that have both excelled at raising money and
awareness for the league’s advocacy efforts. You’ll see how
MCUL is encouraging NCUA to broaden field of membership
guidelines for federal credit unions in order to allow for more
growth within our industry. There’s also an issue-by-issue guide
to some of the biggest credit union legislative priorities at
both the state and federal level, along with much, much more.

We have a lot to accomplish in the year ahead, and we look
forward to working side-by-side with you on all of these fronts.

Best,

Contact I First Quarter 2016 5