More than 70 credit union officials and Washington operatives gathered here last month to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Bill Donovan at NAFCU, the longest-serving credit union lobbyist.
The event was billed as a roast and included testimonials from prominent members of Congress, NCUA Board members and others.
Donovan, now 54, joined NAFCU in 1979 when his staff consisted of him and one other lobbyist, and has grown it into 18 people who cover Congress, NCUA and all the major financial regulatory agencies.
Donovan has been a leading player in all of the major credit union battles during that time: the recapitalization of the NCUSIF; the fight over the 1% NCUSIF deposit; the legal wars with the bankers; and the national campaign for HR 1151, the CU Membership Access Act.
