WASHINGTON—America’s Credit Unions has filled one of its most closely watched leadership vacancies, with President and CEO Scott Simpson Tuesday announcing the trade group has named Kathleen Coulombe chief advocacy officer.
The vacancy in the key post has remained a point of industry discussion for the past six months, after it was created by Carrie Hunt’s departure last August. Hunt is now senior vice president of advocacy and strategic partnerships at Navy FCU.
Simpson has emphasized that filling the advocacy role has been among his top priorities since taking over at ACU.
ACU said Coulombe brings nearly two decades of experience leading federal policy and advocacy strategies for national organizations. Coulombe currently serves as senior vice president of federal relations at the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), where she leads federal advocacy strategy on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies for the life insurance industry.
Kathleen Coulombe
Coulombe will join America’s Credit Unions beginning April 20, following an extensive national search led by search firm Korn Ferry that attracted a “highly competitive pool of candidates” from across Washington’s policy and financial services communities, ACU said.
“Throughout this search we had the opportunity to meet an impressive group of candidates, which speaks to the strength and future of the credit union movement,” said Simpson. “Kathleen stood out for her strategic leadership, deep understanding of Washington’s policy landscape, and proven ability to lead successful advocacy efforts on behalf of large and diverse memberships.”
During her time at ACLI, Coulombe helped guide the industry’s policy agenda, worked closely with senior policymakers and regulators, and led advocacy campaigns addressing complex financial services issues, ACU said.
Prior to joining ACLI, Coulombe spent more than a decade at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), where she played a key role in developing and executing national advocacy strategies on workplace and labor policy.
Earlier in her career, Coulombe held positions at the U.S. Department of Defense and the Office of Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn.
“Credit unions play a vital role in helping millions of Americans access affordable financial services and achieve financial security,” said Coulombe. “I’m honored to join America’s Credit Unions and look forward to working with policymakers, regulators, and credit union leaders to advance policies that support the credit union mission and the communities they serve.”
As chief advocacy officer, Coulombe will lead America’s Credit Unions’ federal advocacy strategy, working in close coordination with state leagues across the country, and oversee the organization’s efforts to advance policy priorities on behalf of credit unions nationwide, the trade group said.
Defense Credit Union Council Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak welcomed Coulombe to the movement.
“I congratulate Kathleen on her hiring and look forward to working with her to advance the credit union movement,” Stverak said.