Senior Lobbyist Departs CUNA

WASHINGTON – CUNA announced yesterday its senior lobbyist, Dean Sagar, who helped draft HR 1151 a decade ago while working for the House, resigned after just 16 months with the trade association. CUNA did not give a reason for Sagar’s resignation and Sagar did not return phone calls seeking comment. But the lobbyist's job was made difficult when CUNA President Dan Mica restricted his public comments after some of his statements were misconstrued by another credit union trade publication. Sagar joined CUNA from the Democratic staff at the House Financial Services Committee, where he helped draft the landmark 1998 credit union bill, HR 1151, the CU Membership Access Act. Because of his credit union knowledge and more than 20 years on Capitol Hill, Sagar’s hiring was seen as a major step for CUNA, soon after the association lost its two senior lobbyists, John McKechnie and Gary Kohn, who both went to work at NCUA. CUNA said it is already working to replace Sagar.