PHILADELPHIA–Both credit union trade groups will be on hand for the Democratic National Convention here this week, pursuing many of the same tactics and objectives used during the just-concluded Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
CUNA’s Trey Hawkins, VP-political affairs, said the association is “gearing up for a big week of events at the DNC.”
Similar to the presence CUNA had at the Republican event, it will again join with RealClearPolitics for a policy forum on the middle class as part of its broader effort at aligning credit unions with America’s middle class (for info, http://www.middleclass2016.com.) The Philadelphia event, which will take place Wednesday from 12-2 p.m. ET and will be live-streamed, will feature the pollster being used by the Clinton campaign, an analyst panel, and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), who has been a strong advocate of CUs, as the closing keynoter.
On Thursday, credit unions, CUNA and the Pennsylvania CU Association will cut the ribbon on a “leave-behind project” at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Credit unions have raised more than $300,000 for a fruit and vegetable garden at the pediatric facility. The ribbon on that wellness effort will be cut at 2 p.m., with former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell on hand.
Reflecting on the GOP convention, CUNA’s Richard Gose said, “We had a very good week in Cleveland…We set the tone for credit unions that we’re there for the community…Our whole conversation is that any debate about the middle class should include credit unions and our role with the middle class and what we can do to strengthen the middle class agenda.”
Rich Meade, CUNA’s chief of staff, noted that the chief medical officer at the Cleveland hospital at which credit unions created a leave-behind project, shared that the care provided isn’t “just for children, but for their parents, too, and the stress they are feeling. What we, what credit unions, did made a big difference for those parents and their kids. He was very appreciative of that.”
Meanwhile, in attendance at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia this week will be NAFCU Board Vice Chair Jeanne Kucey, NAFCU Vice President of Legislative Affairs Brad Thaler, NAFCU Associate Directors of Legislative Affairs Gaurav Parikh and Allyson Browning, and NAFCU Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel Carrie Hunt.
Kucey is CEO and president of JetStream Federal Credit Union, in Miami Lakes, Fla.
“NAFCU’s team will focus on two key things: bringing the regulatory burden on credit unions to the attention of lawmakers and other policymakers; and telling the story of the good work credit unions are doing for their members across the country,” the trade group said. “