RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.–What advocacy and messaging lessons have been learned during 2025 that America’s Credit Unions will be looking to apply in 2026?
It’s a question that will be among the issues discussed as the American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL) hosts its Winter Conference this week, at which more than 100 national and state association representatives will be on hand.
ACU President and CEO Scott Simpson said the meeting will represent the “culmination of a lot of homework” that has been done when it comes to advocacy, including “actively listening to credit unions” and “trying to drive our own agenda.”
Never Letting Up on the Throttle
Asked by the CU Daily during a press call what some of the lessons have been from the past year, Simpson replied that one learning is just the importance of not letting up on the “throttle of telling the credit union story” and constantly reminding policymakers about the differences credit unions make in communities.
“I think our engagement by the national association and the state trade associations has been wildly improving over the last year,” said Simpson, who took over at America’s Credit Unions in early November after leading the state associations for CUs in California, Nevada and Utah. “I have to give a lot of credit to the leadership. I mean, I was in the ranks. Together, we built really strong structures for developing strategy and tactics. We’ve benefited from that in 2025 and we’re only getting better.”
Simpson Rejoins AACUL Board
Separately, in conjunction with its meeting in California, the American Association of Credit Union Leagues(AACUL) and America’s Credit Unions (ACU) said Simpson has joined the AACUL board.
“For AACUL’s membership, which represents every state league across the country, this moment is more than a leadership update: it is a strategic turning point for the movement,” America’s Credit Unions said in a statement. “Simpson previously served on the AACUL Board from 2014 to 2021, including two years as Chair, and his return comes at a time when coordination between state and federal advocacy has never been more important. AACUL is the convening arm of the League System.
“This connection is critical for credit unions, operating in a landscape shaped by both federal and state decisions,” the statement continued. “The ability to move legislation, influence regulation, and defend credit unions requires tight alignment between the national advocacy strategy and the state League System…Simpson’s presence on the AACUL Board provides the connective tissue needed to advance shared priorities, strengthen relationships, and modernize the industry’s approach to unified advocacy.”
A ‘Family Reunion’
“Coming back to the AACUL Board feels like a family reunion,” Simpson said in a statement. “I’ve led three state leagues, and I know firsthand that our system is strongest when we work as one. America’s Credit Unions and AACUL will continue moving forward together to deliver unified advocacy for credit unions nationwide.”
AACUL President Brad Miller added in a statement, “Scott embodies the bridge between national leadership and the League System. His return strengthens our alignment at a moment when state and federal advocacy must be seamlessly coordinated for credit unions to thrive.”
