WASHINGTON—America’s Credit Unions President/CEO Scott Simpson said the trade group is sharpening its focus on the unique pressures facing small credit unions following a series of meetings and last week’s Small Credit Union Conference in Kansas City.
Simpson said the event drew a strong turnout of small credit union leaders who were eager to learn from one another and share operational challenges.
“We had a strong number of attendees, many of whom came hoping to learn from one another,” Simpson said. “We were able to share a lot, which I thought was fascinating.”
The experience, he added, reinforced the steep operational and regulatory hurdles confronting smaller institutions.
“The biggest takeaway for me was a renewed sensitivity to how difficult it is to run any credit union—especially a small one,” Simpson said. “It was good for our organization to feel that firsthand and to recognize that we need to lean into those relationships and better understand the pressures that fall exponentially on smaller institutions.”
Simpson noted the organization is also continuing conversations with large credit unions and working to “convene the family” across the system.
“We’ve had a number of calls with large credit unions as well, and we continue to do our part to convene the family in whatever ways we can,” he said.