PHOENIX –While speaking before an audience of credit union industry executives, CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle said, as supported by eye witnesses and a transcript provided by CUNA, he's observed that his credit union trade association is bloated and inefficient.

Nussle, who took the top position at CUNA one year ago, made his remarks during the Sept. 24 general session at the CUNA Community Credit Union and The Federation 2015 Annual Conferences, which took place at the Sheraton Downtown from Sept. 22-25. CUNA media representatives later clarified Nussle misspoke and was referring to criticism he's heard from others as he spent the last year asking questions about how to improve the organization.

Nussle also told attendees that CUNA is cutting credit unions' 2016 dues and resolves to spend 100% of the dues payments on advocacy, which he called the association's primary focus. The announcement was met with scattered applause. He said CUNA had “flattened the staff levels” and reorganized to make itself more efficient as well. Nussle put his comments in the context of growth, which he said is how credit unions should define winning.

“We want to grow because we want to serve more people,” Nussle said.

He told executives that CUNA and similar trade associations sold a lie to their members – that if their members would hire people like him and send a big staff to Washington, they would be able to make things change.

Nussle said that was not true, and pointed to the American Association of Retired Persons and the National Rifle Association as organizations that had learned the importance of fully involving their members in their advocacy efforts.