CUNA Meets with White House Faith-Based Assoc. Director

WASHINGTON-Representatives from CUNA met with White House officials to discuss their similar interests in faith-based and community outreach. CUNA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs John McKechnie and Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Senior Legislative Counsel Gary Kohn met Oct. 3 with Jeremy White, associate director of outreach for the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Office. “Given our recent work with the Small Business Administration, the SBA actually suggested we talk with them,” McKechnie explained. The two CUNA representatives provided a description of CUNA and credit unions’ efforts regarding faith-based business lending and general community based lending. Credit unions have been working with lawmakers for a few years to exempt loan to non-profit religious organizations from the member business lending cap. The CUNA and White House officials also discussed Individual Development Accounts, which provide matching savings for low-income Americans for a first home purchase, secondary education, or to start a small business. McKechnie emphasized that it is important for CUNA to touch base with different areas of the government to spread the word about credit unions’ work and establish relationships.