If you're like many in the credit union industry, you're probably reading this as you (or some of your colleagues) are preparing to leave for Washington for CUNA's GAC. GAC gives credit union professionals nationwide the chance to build relationships, share knowledge and tell their stories to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, so I – as I'm sure many of you do – look upon the week with excitement.

This will be my sixth GAC; I attended my first as a CU Times freelancer in 2012, my second as a Crasher from the state of California, and my third, fourth, fifth and now sixth as CU Times' managing editor. This year will be a little different for our staff, as we won't be holding our usual Trailblazer Awards reception at the Renaissance Washington, but the Trailblazer Awards themselves are still alive and well. You can learn about the six 2018 winners and how they're making an impact in their credit unions and communities in the Feb. 28 print issue of CU Times, like CEO of the Year Richard Romero, a Peruvian immigrant who made it part of his credit union's mission to serve the immigrant and Hispanic populations in the Seattle area. Other winners include Outstanding Service to the Underserved honoree Kathy Chartier, whose credit union helps financially-struggling members in a wealthy part of Connecticut, and Volunteer of the Year Joan Nelson, who took two children in need into her own home and facilitated a home-building charity project in North Carolina. All of our Trailblazers have personally demonstrated something all credit unions stand for – putting the needs of others over their own personal gain.