WASHINGTON— More than 6,000 credit union leaders are converging on the nation’s capital this week for the 51st annual Governmental Affairs Conference, the third held under the banner of America’s Credit Unions following the 2024 merger of CUNA and NAFCU.
The March 1-5 gathering at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center is expected to set new attendance records — not just overall, but for the number of individual credit unions represented.
For ACU President and CEO Scott Simpson, Monday marks a milestone of his own. Though he estimates this is his 22nd GAC, it is his first leading the conference from the main stage — a role long held by his predecessor, Jim Nussle, who was a fixture at the event for roughly a decade. Simpson acknowledged some natural anxiety stepping into the spotlight, but downplayed it as secondary to the broader mission.
“This is the largest gathering of the credit union family that there is,” Simpson said ahead of the conference. “It’s the intersection of public policy, politics and the work we do every day. And it happens right here.”
He noted the event has already surpassed last year’s attendance record, with more than 6,000 registered and the number continuing to climb. Just as notable, he said, is the increase in the number of individual credit unions participating — a sign, in his view, of growing grassroots engagement at a time when the industry faces heightened scrutiny on issues ranging from interchange to rate caps.
Scott Simpson
While the general sessions will feature nationally recognized presenters and an expanded slate of breakouts to accommodate the crowd, Simpson stressed the most important work will take place beyond the convention center walls.
“We could hold this conference in any number of cities,” he said. “We’re in Washington for a reason.”
That reason is advocacy. Simpson said credit affordability will be a central message as attendees head to Capitol Hill. With policymakers in both parties focused on consumer costs, he argued that credit unions are already delivering the solution through member-focused lending and competitive rates — without the need for heavy-handed mandates.
“Credit unions are the answer to affordability,” Simpson said. “We’re in the marketplace. We’re already doing it. We just need government to expand that opportunity.”
To that end, ACU has been holding weekly advocacy calls with state leagues and member credit unions to ensure alignment heading into GAC. Attendees will be armed with talking points on legislation carried over from the previous Congress, as well as emerging flashpoints such as interchange proposals and interest rate caps. Simpson also pointed to potential relief measures under discussion in the House Financial Services Committee as areas where credit union voices can make a difference.
Beyond the in-person lobbying blitz, ACU plans to activate its broader grassroots network, giving those unable to attend a way to weigh in digitally. The goal, Simpson said, is to ensure the energy inside the convention center translates into measurable impact on Capitol Hill.
For Simpson, leading his first GAC as president and CEO is less about the symbolism of the stage and more about the stakes.
“It has nothing to do with me,” he said. “It’s about the 145 million Americans who are counting on credit unions to do right by them while we’re here.”