Meet 2018's credit union candidates
November 6, 2018 8:05 AM
Credit union trade groups like to boast that the movement has strong supporters on both sides of the aisle. While plenty of lawmakers at both the state and federal level have stood up to support the industry, only a small handful have first-hand experience working within credit unions. More than a dozen candidates for office this year can claim to have served a credit union either as an employee or board member. Read on for some of CU Journal's coverage of candidates who have experienced the industry first-hand and how that has impacted their experience in government, along with a look back at a classic CUJ piece on credit unions that pull double duty on voting day.
Larry Hoff
The political atmosphere across the country has been a divisive for the last several years. One first-time candidate hopes he can help break that cycle, and he's betting his leadership experience as a credit union CEO can help in the process.
For more on Larry Hoff's candidacy for the Washington state legislature,click here .
For more on Larry Hoff's candidacy for the Washington state legislature,
Denny Heck
U.S. Rep. Denny Heck only worked in a credit union for a short period early in his career, but the experience has stayed with him. Heck, currently running for reelection to the House, has been a champion for credit unions, including sponsoring a recent bill to delay implementation of NCUA's risk-based capital rule until January 2021.
For more on Heck,click here .
For more on Heck,
Bob Kressig
Just when it seemed the credit union tax exemption was safe, a battle brewed earlier this year in Iowa over whether or not CUs should be taxed. And while the movement was ultimately victorious, the battle was a learning experience for Bob Kressig, a former credit union board chair and candidate for reelection to Iowa's state legislature.
For more on Kressig,click here .
For more on Kressig,
Gwen Moore
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore has been a credit union advocate on a variety of fronts, starting with helping launch a Wisconsin credit union early in her career to her work today in Congress where she has put forth bills to help credit unions more easily grow their fields of membership.
For more,click here .
For more,
Van Wanggard
Former police officer Van Wangard served as board member and president of Wisconsin's Racine Police CU, and that spirit of service has compelled him to seek public office, first on the Racine County Board in 2002 and subsequently running for the Wisconsin State Senate in 2010. Currently running for reelection to the Senate, Wanggard says public service and CUs are closely intertwined.
For more,click here .
For more,
Christina Kafkakis
Mona Shand
A stint in public relations at the Michigan Credit Union League gave Mona Shand first-hand experience with the credit union difference. A career in professions as varied as broadcast journalism and education has led her to run for office for the first time, seeking a seat in Michigan's House of Representatives.
For more on Shand,click here .
For more on Shand,
Richard Onishi
A board member at Hawaii County Employees FCU, Richard Onishi was already an experienced advocate for credit unions when he joined the state legislature in 2013. Now running for his fourth term, Onishi is on a mission to ensure the rest of the state's lawmakers understand the value CUs bring to their communities.
For more,click here .
For more,
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CU in the voting booth
Credit union branches serve all sorts of functions, from community meeting spaces to coffee bars with free wifi and even DMV satellite locations. And a handful of credit unions across the country on Tuesday will once again welcome voters when those institutions open their doors for one day only as a polling place. Click here to revisit CU Journal's 2016 feature on credit unions that double as voting sites.
