TALLAHASSEE, Fla–Credit unions from across Florida gathered in Tallahassee for the Florida Credit Union Association’s Florida Advocacy Summit, coming together to engage with lawmakers and advance key priorities during the Florida General Assembly session.
According to the FCUA, this year’s Summit brought together 109 attendees, representing credit unions from across the state, who convened to share the credit union difference with policymakers at the state capitol. Participants engaged in advocacy-focused programming designed to strengthen their understanding of legislative issues impacting credit unions and the members they serve, the organizations said.
Notable attendees included Commissioner Russel Weigel, Chief Financial Officer for the State of Florida Blaise Ingoglia, and Senior Director of Political Affairs and Coalitions Advocacy Andrew Wiggins. Members of The League’s advocacy team also led sessions focused on current policy priorities, emerging legislative trends, and effective strategies for engaging with lawmakers throughout the session.
“During this year’s Advocacy Summit, we were focused on preserving the current payments and interchange fee infrastructure, strengthening fraud mitigation efforts, advancing affordable housing solutions, and modernizing Florida’s credit union charter to better serve our members,” Christopher Hodge, senior director of governmental affairs at The League said in a statement. “Credit union leaders have shared real-world impact stories that highlight the growing fraud threats facing Floridians, the need for secure and affordable financial services, and the importance of policies that allow credit unions to continue protecting consumers and supporting strong, stable communities.”
By expanding the Summit to include three-day programming, The League said it was able to dedicate additional time to advocacy training, issue education, and celebrating recent legislative and advocacy accomplishments, and attendees left better equipped to represent their credit unions and advocate on behalf of their members at the state level.
“The Florida Advocacy Summit was a powerful reminder of the impact credit unions can make when we come together,” Park Broome, CEO of Loyalty Credit Union, said in a statement. “Thanks to The League’s leadership, we were given tools to engage lawmakers, elevate the credit union difference, and advocate for policies that strengthen our members and communities statewide.”
