WASHINGTON - For the first time in the 30-plus years it has hosted its ever-growing Governmental Affairs Conference, CUNA expanded into the Washington Convention Center for this year’s event. The expanded facilities were a noticeable improvement over the overstuffed Hilton and its convention facilities, which had the ambience of a parking garage – which it was. Still, even in is new environment credit unions managed to have standing room only audiences for some of the bigger name speakers, such as Gen. Colin Powell. CUNA CEO Dan Mica said attendance totaled 4,700 people, 600 of whom were attending their first-ever GAC. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

WASHINGTON - As part of its efforts to boost financial literacy, CUNA said it would be unveiling a Personal Financial Institute. And as part of that, the group said it will also develop a national awards program to recognize the credit unions that do the best job of providing financial education. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

WASHINGTON - Credit unions got an update on where CUNA’s task force on membership growth stands. Dick Ensweiler, the president of the Texas CU League who is chairman the Membership Growth Task Force, told the meeting there are three markets to which credit unions will need to look for growth: immigrant/ethnic groups, young people and the underserved.

WASHINGTON - Two congressional friends of credit unions had to cancel their expected presentations at CUNA’s GAC; U.S. Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Charlie Rangel (D-NY).

WASHINGTON - Suncoast Schools FCU’s Tom Dorety was elected chairman of the CUNA Board last week, as part of the panel’s annual GAC meeting.

WASHINGTON - It’s been a transition for Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus, now the senior Republican on the House Financial Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - CUNA recorded its Home & Family Finance radio broadcast from GAC. The weekly personal finance talk show was to air several days after recording. Participants in the broadcast included host Paul Berry, Mike Schenk of CUNA, Dwight Johnston of WesCorp, and John Snyder, a homeownership spcialist with NeighborWorks America in Washington. The panel discussed the housing and mortgage markets, and offered advice on what consumers can do if they are having trouble making mortgage payments. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

WASHINGTON - As part of the critical campaign to save credit union membership powers a decade ago credit unions had to give some things up, now its time to recoup, insisted Pennsylvania Congressman Paul Kanjorski during CUNA’s GAC last week.

WASHINGTON - The IRS may soon find itself facing a second credit union plaintiff in a lawsuit over the agency’s interpretation of the Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT), according to CUNA Mutual Group’s Larry Blanchard, who heads up the UBIT Task Force.

WASHINGTON - Credit unions, it seems, found a new champion in the Senate last week with the emergence of Democrat Mary Landrieu.

WASHINGTON - It wasn’t just the venue that was new at the GAC this year; CUNA also added a new ceremony: a parade of all of the state flags following the presentation of the colors. To what degree the crowd appreciated the rather lengthy bit of pageantry was unclear, but as the nearly-two-hour rehearsal session the day before made some members of the various states’ delegations late for the Herb Wegner Awards Dinner, it was hoped the final effect was worth it. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

WASHINGTON - The undercurrent of concern at this year’s GAC may as well have been taken from a page of the 1988 presidential campaign: It’s the economy, stupid. The CEO of one credit union in Michigan bemoaned the beleaguered economy in her state, but added that interacting with her colleagues across the country offered her a little bit of optimism.

WASHINGTON - Outgoing CUNA Chairman Allan Kemp McMorris appeared to be relieved to be turning the gavel over to new CUNA Chairman Tom Dorety, CEO of Suncoast Schools FCU in Tampa. For his part, Dorety was just happy to have survived the first “real argument” with his wife of 10 years, Glenda.

WASHINGTON - Though CUNA made the historic change to the Washington Convention Center this year, some things didn’t change, such as radio personality Paul Berry’s masterful handling of emcee duties at GAC. Making his fourth appearance in the role, Berry quipped, “If [the move] was an attempt to get rid of me…I found you. Mr. Mica, if you wanted to hide you can’t put a big-ass sign that says CUNA out front.” (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

WASHINGTON - For years the conventional wisdom has been that older voters are the most likely to vote, which is one of the reasons that Social Security reform has been considered the third rail of politics.

WASHINGTON - After CUNA President Dan Mica’s obligatory remarks against the banks, the former Florida congressman told GAC attendees about a new credit union reg relief bill that some are calling “CURIA Lite” and which was first reported by the Credit Union Journal.

WASHINGTON - As he does every year GAC Emcee Paul Berry shared a number of pithy observations to keep things rolling along. One such gem: “Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue.” (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Members at San Antonio City Employees FCU will be greeted by a big change when they stop by their credit union Monday morning–a new name: generations federal credit union–all in lowercase letters.

HAMPTON, Va. – A man believed to have robbed Langley FCU on Dec, 27 walked into the police station and turned himself in Wednesday.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Collegiate FCU said yesterday it has installed an Internet-based employee time and attendance service provided by Attendance on Demand.