The People Behind the Progress

I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like fall always seems to sneak up on us. One minute we’re trying to squeeze in one last summer plan, and the next we’re talking strategic planning, year-end priorities and, somehow, what 2027 is going to look like. 

During these last couple weeks of seasonal transition, I spent time with our advocacy team in Washington, D.C., for America’s Credit Unions’ (ACU) Congressional Caucus and our annual Hike the Hill. The following week, I was back in Detroit for our Executive Summit. Both trips gave me plenty to think about. 
 
In Washington, while we came prepared to talk about a handful of priorities, one issue dominated our discussions: fraud and scams. Our conversations with Michigan’s congressional delegation focused on what credit unions are seeing firsthand, what’s making it harder to protect members and where policymakers may be able to help. The credit union leaders who joined us shared stories about members who had experienced scams, check fraud and exploitation, particularly of older and more vulnerable adults. And those stories made clear the real financial and emotional consequences people across Michigan are dealing with right now. According to ACU, in 2024 alone, scams cost American consumers $12.4 billion and that number keeps growing year after year.  
 
Both Senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin were receptive to what our group shared, and I appreciated their willingness to listen. They also shared a helpful perspective on what it may take to move these issues forward in Congress. Any real change relating to the prevention or punishment for scams is unlikely to come down to one big solution. Instead, it will come incrementally across several different fronts. 

 
Meeting with Sen. Peters 

 
Meeting with Sen. Slotkin 

 
We also spent time during our Hike visits talking about the challenges facing CDFI credit unions and the certification process, modernization of the Federal Credit Union Act and, of course, interchange reform. 
 
Also, while were in D.C., we received some encouraging news on the CDFI funds and that 2025 grant dollars were set to be released.  Also, we recently learned that a federal court granted a permanent injunction preventing Illinois from applying its Interchange Fee Prohibition Act to federal credit unions. There’s still work ahead to secure relief for state-chartered credit unions, but this was an important step after more than two years of coordinated advocacy by national and fellow state league partners. 
 
Our conversations about fraud were a reminder that meaningful progress can take time, especially when there is no one simple answer. But seeing movement on interchange just days later, after all that work, put that into perspective for me. Advocacy rarely comes down to one meeting or one moment. It takes people continuing to show up, keep the conversation going and make the case for why these issues matter. 
 
That long-term commitment will be especially important as we look toward Election Day on November 3. Michigan voters will elect a new U.S. senator, as Senator Peters is not seeking reelection, and all 13 of Michigan’s U.S. House seats will be on the ballot. For us, that means the work after Election Day will be every bit as important as the work leading up to it. As new members of Congress take office, we’ll have new relationships to build and plenty of education to do around the credit union difference and the issues that matter to our members.  
 
On that note, I encourage you to take a look at MCUL’s 2026 endorsed candidates. We base our endorsements on candidates’ support for the credit union philosophy and difference, rather than any partisan considerations. 
 
Finally, while in D.C., we recognized that this would be our last fly-in meeting with Sen. Peters. The room gave Gary a standing ovation to recognize him and his support for Michigan credit unions. 
 
From Washington, I came home and almost immediately shifted gears for last week’s Executive Summit in Detroit. There was a lot packed into a couple of days, but one thing ACU CEO Scott Simpson said early in the Summit stayed with me. He described credit unions as one of the great social movements in the history of our country and talked about the number of lives that have been changed simply because credit unions exist. He is absolutely right, of course, but I don’t often hear our work described like that. Referring to us as a social movement felt powerful. 
 
The Summit’s speaker and panel discussions focused heavily on AI. We heard from several thoughtful speakers about how AI is changing the nature of our work — and learned that credit unions are moving even faster than banks in putting these tools to use. 
 
I knew AI was going to be a major focus of the event. What surprised me, though, was how often the conversation was really about people. As attendees asked questions and joined the panel discussions, it became clear that our movement’s perspective on AI is centered on where people fit in.  
 
There is understandable concern that AI could be used to streamline work and replace people, but the conversation at the Summit didn’t reflect that for our movement. Instead, it was all about how AI can help credit unions compete with larger institutions while strengthening the personal, member-focused service that sets us apart. Benjamin Denay, CEO of Wildfire Credit Union, put it in a way I really liked. He said he wants to use AI to deliver big-bank capabilities with credit union service. 
 
As we move into the final months of the year and start looking ahead to 2027, these past couple weeks have reminded me that relationships will continue to be our greatest strength. The relationships we build with policymakers, invest in within our teams and strengthen with members will shape how effectively we meet the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. 
 
Thanks for reading.