As NASCUS' New EVP of Government Relations, Troutman Adjusts to Association, East Coast Life

ARLINGTON, Va. – Sandra Troutman is the newest kid on the NASCUS block, and she doesn’t mind that one bit. The 35-year old Troutman joined the NASCUS management team as Executive Vice President of Government Relations on May 10. She replaced Jonathan Lindley who had served as vice president of national advocacy. Armed with 10 years of working as director of corporation communications and public relations at WesCorp, as well as a Juris Doctorate from the University of LaVerne College of Law (2003), a Masters in Business Administration from the University of La Verne (1998), and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from California State University at Fullerton (1991), Troutman has successfully made the transition from working with a corporate credit union to working with an association. She says the move over to NASCUS “has provided me with a broader understanding of the credit union movement.” “I know my way around the halls here,” she quips, noting that although the transition has been relatively smooth, it’s still been an adjustment. The biggest difference Troutman has found between working at WesCorp and at NASCUS is that at the latter she says she represents different constituents. “NASCUS was founded to meet the needs of state regulators. The NASCUS Council of state-chartered credit unions supports them, and NASCUS has foundation members too, comprised of state leagues, corporates and other affiliates. In fact, coincidentally, WesCorp is a NASCUS foundation member,” Troutman explains. “Serving different constituents has provided me the opportunity to understand the concerns of state regulators and to look at issues of concern from a state credit union perspective. These concerns can differ from the concerns of a federal credit union,” she continues. Troutman adds that working for a professional association of regulators has given her a better understanding of credit union regulations and how state and federal rules can differ. She cited by example state and federal rules concerning member business lending and prompt corrective action requirements. There are really two levels of regulations, and sometimes they can each provide clarity in different areas, Troutman says. Despite some differences between working for WesCorp and NASCUS, Troutman says one thing that remains similar in both of her positions is “at the end of the day, I go home feeling positive about what I accomplished in a day. Indirectly I have the satisfaction of knowing that I have helped someone to secure the mortgage on their home or buy their first car. Working in the credit union movement provides a positive feeling, and I like this aspect of my job,” Troutman says. Actually, had Troutman pursued her first course of study in college – fashion merchandising – she wouldn’t have been involved with credit unions at all. But Troutman decided that field was too narrow and she needed to change direction into something that would give her a broader field of expertise. So she studied communications instead, and the rest is history. At WesCorp, Troutman was responsible for corporate events and all corporate communications such as WesCorp’s newsletters, Web site and annual report. Working at NASCUS is allowing her to flex her legal skills, and she says that is helping her better understand the technical construction of legislation and regulations. Likewise, Troutman says her business acumen “enables me to understand what the application of a regulation means to a credit union, from an operational perspective. Both disciplines complement each other and work together nicely.” Though she’s only been with NASCUS three months, Troutman has already spent considerable time on Capitol Hill, meeting with legislators and the staff of members of the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee to discuss with them key issues and pending legislation. She cites several items as the leading legislative issues facing the state-chartered credit union system – capital reform, member business lending, preemption of state laws, the FACT Act. “I’ve learned how much states serve as laboratories for innovation of financial services,” says Troutman. “Over and over again, we see services being granted to federal credit unions that state-chartered credit unions had already been doing. That’s why the dual chartering system is so important.” Not only has Troutman successfully navigated the waters between working for a corporate credit union and an association, this southern California girl now calls Alexandria, Va. home. Admitting that she misses the beach a lot, she spends a lot of her free time these days – something she confesses she doesn’t have a lot of in her new position – exploring Washington, D.C. She’s even made a commitment to come to the city just for fun at least twice a month to explore its many museums and monuments. She also wants to get involved with a not-for-profit organization and says Meals on Wheels is at the top of her list of choices. Troutman also likes to follow the holdings of the Supreme Court and read up on current legal opinion – something she blames her legal background on. -