WASHINGTON— Veteran Washington advocacy executive Kathleen Coulombe officially began as chief advocacy officer at America’s Credit Unions Monday, stepping into one of the trade group’s most closely watched leadership roles as credit unions head into a politically charged election cycle and a busy stretch of policy fights in Washington.
Coulombe will lead America’s Credit Unions’ federal advocacy strategy and work closely with state leagues across the country as the organization pushes credit union priorities ahead of November’s midterm elections, with ACU and its league partners focused on helping elect what they have called a pro-credit union 120th Congress. Her arrival also fills a vacancy that had been a frequent point of industry discussion since Carrie Hunt departed the role last August to become senior vice president of advocacy and strategic partnerships at Navy FCU.
Coulombe joins ACU from the American Council of Life Insurers, where she served as senior vice president of federal relations and led federal advocacy strategy on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies for the life insurance industry. America’s Credit Unions previously said Coulombe was selected following an extensive national search led by Korn Ferry that drew a “highly competitive pool of candidates” from across Washington’s policy and financial services communities.
“As I step into this role, I look forward to working with Leagues and credit union leaders across the country to elevate the industry’s voice in Washington and advance policies that support you and the communities you serve,” Coulombe said.
Coulombe also previously held roles at the Society for Human Resource Management, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Office of Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn, giving her nearly two decades of experience in federal policy and advocacy work. ACU has said she stood out for her strategic leadership, deep knowledge of Washington’s policy environment and experience leading complex financial services advocacy efforts.
“We’re excited to have Kathleen officially on board as we continue our unified efforts to protect cooperative finance and advance people’s economic freedom,” said ACU President and CEO Scott Simpson.