What I’m Carrying Forward
This is the time of year when I, like many of you, naturally start thinking about what the past year asked of us and what we can carry into the year ahead.
Around this time last year, me and my team at MCUL, as well as our partners at America’s Credit Unions, were talking about the challenges that we knew lay ahead. “We have our work cut out for us” was a common refrain in the lead-up to 2025. Thankfully, hindsight has a way of showing us exactly what we’re capable of.
The defense of the credit union tax status brought our movement together in a way that was both necessary and inspiring. Michigan advocates alone sent more than 26,000 messages to Congress — a level of grassroots engagement that doesn’t happen unless people believe in the work and trust in our movement. And that sense of unity carried us through one of the most significant advocacy moments we’ve had in years.
Elsewhere, the heart of our community was exemplified throughout the year — from 4,000 volunteers contributing $300,000 in goods and services on CU Kind Day, to a record-setting $125,000 raised for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at ACE25, to financial education efforts that reached 73,000 people across Michigan (placing us among the top states in the country!). To close out our year, our MCUL and CUSG teams sponsored families through The Rainbow Connection for the holidays, supporting those who are facing the unimaginable — caring for a child with a life-threatening illness.
It’s easy to look at numbers like these and move on, but I hope you won’t. You know as well as I do that it’s not about the end-of-year statistics, but about the people behind them — whether that’s the student who learns budgeting skills that will shape their future or a family that feels supported when it matters most. I hope you’ll take a moment during these next couple weeks to appreciate what all of you made possible. And if someone on your team or in your community embodies that same spirit of service, I encourage you to nominate them for an MCUL or MCUF Award before nominations close on January 9.
While we take time to celebrate what we accomplished, we also need to keep our eyes on what’s ahead. Our wins matter, but our mission keeps moving, and so do the people we hope to serve. While we had a lot of success this year, we know that advocacy never stops and we will need to continue to push full-throttle into the new year. This sentiment rang true in the meeting rooms at our AACUL Winter Conference earlier this month. There, colleagues across the country spent time talking about how intentional league system alignment can shape our work in 2026 to address future challenges, head on.
Personally, this year held some challenges for me. Once I learned of my breast cancer diagnosis in May, I knew that the year would not be the one I had planned on. As I wrote about this fall, I’m lucky that, post-surgery, my prognosis is great. It was just a big curve ball that reminds you that you can’t plan for everything!
As I look to 2026, there is a lot to be excited about. Right at the start, I’m happy that we’re putting on our first-ever event with an agenda focusing on women — our Lead with Heart: A Gathering for Women Who Inspire. The idea behind it was to start the year off by giving the women in this movement (and the men who support them!) a space that can connect us through thoughtful and honest conversations. I hope to see you there.
Thank you for everything you’ve done this year. I’m proud to be part of this movement with you, and I’m looking forward to what we’ll do together in 2026.
Have a happy New Year, and thanks for reading!
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