Stewardship Over Spotlight: Reflections from the Credit Union GAC

In the credit union movement, the most meaningful moments often happen in quiet conversations about how to help a member through a difficult season, when leaders recommit themselves to serving their communities well, and when people who care deeply about cooperative finance come together to protect something that matters.

Last week in Washington, DC, more than 6,000 credit union professionals did exactly that.

They gathered for ACU’s Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) to advocate for the credit union tax status and to remind policymakers of the essential role credit unions play in supporting families, strengthening local economies, and providing responsible financial options for communities across the country.

For our team at TwoScore and me, the experience was both energizing and clarifying. It reminded me why this movement exists, why the work our credit union partners do every day matters so deeply, and reaffirmed who we are as an agency.

Cooperation and Opportunity

Shortly before this year’s conference, something unexpected happened.

Mark Arnold of On the Mark Strategies was no longer able to exhibit in the conference exhibit hall. In a generous act that reflected the cooperative spirit of our industry, he reached out and offered TwoScore the booth space and conference badges.

It was an incredibly thoughtful gesture and a meaningful example of cooperation among cooperatives in action, and in the vendor world. But it also presented a decision.

A Moment for Reflection

Anyone who has participated in an exhibit hall knows that a booth presence requires careful planning, significant investment, and months of preparation. With less than a month before the conference, I had to ask an important question: What would be the most responsible and authentic way for TwoScore to show up?

After long discussions with the team, I made the decision not to activate the exhibit booth.

Instead, we attended the conference as participants in the movement itself. We listened, learned, advocated alongside credit union leaders, and spent time connecting with partners and clients in ways that felt genuine to who we are. It was a choice rooted in stewardship and identity.

We Are Not An Exhibit Hall Agency

I don’t say that to take anyone from the hundreds of vendors in the largest trade show in credit unions. For many organizations, that space works for them. But not for us.

Our work is built on trust, thoughtful collaboration, and relationships that grow over time.

We team up with small and mid-sized credit union teams that are doing extraordinary work with limited resources. In many cases, we serve as a strategic extension of their leadership team.

That kind of partnership is deeply personal. It requires listening carefully, understanding the nuances of each credit union’s culture, and approaching every strategy with intention and care.

The intimacy of those relationships is one of the things that makes our work meaningful. It is also one of the things that sets TwoScore apart.

Choosing not to activate the booth allowed us to stay aligned with that purpose while being responsible stewards of our resources.

What We Experienced at GAC

Our week in Washington proved to be deeply energizing for us. Standing among thousands of credit union professionals was a powerful reminder of the collective strength of this movement.

As Marissa reflected:

More than 6,000 credit union professionals from across the country came together to advocate for the credit union tax status and our shared mission of serving members and communities. The experience reinforced that the credit union movement is united by a common purpose and a commitment to helping people. Sometimes that impact comes through something as simple as one responsible loan that helps a family navigate a difficult moment.

Ashley shared a particularly meaningful experience from the week:

Standing with thousands of credit union professionals from across the country was a great reminder of why this movement exists. The highlight of my time at GAC was meeting Bill Herring, the son of Louise Herring, known as the mother of credit unions in the United States. Being encouraged by a credit union pioneer was both invigorating and activating for my own movement focused projects.

For Liz and me, GAC reinforced the importance of staying close to the realities credit unions are navigating every day.

The more we understand what credit unions are facing every day, the better we can support them as our clients. Conferences like GAC help strengthen our relationships and allow us to offer guidance that truly supports the members credit unions serve.

We got to spend meaningful time with several of our clients during the conference discussing their future and the communities they support.

When strategy is shaped alongside leaders who are living the work every day, the ideas become stronger, more practical, and more impactful.

Throughout the week, one message surfaced again and again.The credit union story is alive and well, but it must continue to be told.

A Final Reflection

The time in Washington also reminded me why I chose to build TwoScore the way I did.

I believe deeply in showing up with intention, with craft and purpose and thoughtfulness, to build real relationships rooted in trust and shared purpose. Sometimes leadership looks like stepping forward, and sometimes it looks like stepping back and choosing the path that best honors the work.

At GAC, we chose stewardship over visibility. That allowed us to participate in the movement in a way that felt authentic to who we are and responsible to the credit unions we serve.

The credit union movement has always been about people helping people.

I’m honored that TwoScore gets to play a small part in helping that story continue.