Berger Leadership Blog

One of the few guarantees in life – besides taxes and hitting every red light when you’re running late – is uncertainty. There will be many times when the path forward is out of your control. That’s a big reason why so many successful leaders recommend focusing on “controlling the controllables.” NAFCU is working through an uncertain time as our members are currently considering and casting votes on a potential merger with CUNA.

Throughout this process, we have promised to be transparent. We have prioritized your feedback to help determine the vision of the proposed new association, America’s Credit Unions. We have communicated important information as decisions are made.

While we prepare for a possible transformation, we must still focus on what we can control: responsibly anticipating what’s next while serving our members with the same quality of advocacy, education, and compliance that’s expected of us. It’s a delicate balance, but a necessary one. Every leader in the credit union industry works to find such a balance: You must serve your members, adapt to economic environments, ensure the safety and soundness of your institutions, and comply with ever-changing regulations.

The balance NAFCU is walking is to ensure that, if you vote in favor of the merger, the new association will be as strong as possible. This strength will provide a united voice in Washington – securing wins to help you better serve your members and communities.

You’ve invested in us. Despite this potential big change and uncertainty, we must also keep our promise of extreme member service and industry-leading advocacy, compliance, and education.

Just earlier this week, we held a town hall for our members with CFPB Director Rohit Chopra to discuss a broad range of issues impacting the credit union industry. Our Government Affairs team continues to be vocal in Washington, fighting for the best regulatory environment for credit unions. That will not change, even amid uncertainty.

When the member vote closes in a couple weeks, we will chart a path forward based on your decision. Until then, the path forward is clear: be transparent and seek your input on the merger process, but also hold steadfast to our promise of providing you and your credit union with outsized value. We will follow that path and succeed in the balancing act. There’s a lot of uncertainty, but you can be certain that we will do everything we can to help you serve your members.