Credit union leaders from across Congressman Brad Sherman’s district recently gathered at Wescom Financial to participate in a special advocacy roundtable with the congressman, jointly hosted by California’s Credit Unions and America’s Credit Unions.

The event was a forum for credit union leaders and Sherman to discuss economic issues, community development, and consumer advocacy.

These touchpoints help align legislative priorities with local community needs, particularly as the region prepares for the transition to the newly designed California Congressional District 32 (CD-32). The new boundaries take effect on January 3, 2027, and span from Malibu to Hollywood Hills, extending through the San Fernando and Simi valleys, representing more than 195,000 credit union members.

Currently serving his 15^th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Sherman remains an influential voice on federal financial policy. As a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee and the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets, his insights are pivotal for local credit union leaders.

The California league’s goal is to always foster open dialogue with members of Congress. Having the opportunity to sit down with the congressman allowed local credit union leaders to once again highlight the unique, member-focused model of credit unions and demonstrate how they support Sherman’s local constituents every day.

The roundtable covered a wide range of issues, weaving policy priorities with local community needs, including:

• The evolving landscape of cybersecurity and fraud prevention, and the emerging policy challenges associated with artificial intelligence.
• Collaborative ways to protect vulnerable populations and safeguard consumer accounts, and how local credit unions can partner with federal offices to expand public education on fraud risks.
• Expanding access to affordable credit and fostering financial inclusion across the district — including insights on local financial health, and mission-driven lending initiatives designed to support small businesses and working families.
• Creative housing solutions, such as first-time homebuyer programs tailored to Southern California’s high-cost real estate market, alongside robust financial literacy programs deployed in schools and community organizations.

The congressman opened up by sharing the ways in which he has supported credit unions over the years — charter modernization, preserving the credit union tax exemption, and more.

When asked about romance scams, Sherman spoke on the challenges that these types of fraudulent schemes pose. He also said credit unions and other financial institutions need a safe harbor — a consumer should not be able to sue for giving their money to a scammer. In his words, “credit unions cannot be the arbiter of whether someone is competent.”

Regarding artificial intelligence, he said one of the main strengths it offers is efficiency. However, users must also be cautious of discrimination in AI. While discrimination is a valid concern, AI programmed correctly can combat age-old biases.

Hosted at Wescom Financial, a broad coalition of credit unions were represented by:

• Premier America Credit Union: Rudy Pereira (president and CEO), Marci Francisco (senior vice president and chief experience officer), and Joann Klonowski (board chair).
• Credit Union of Southern California: Dave Gunderson (president and CEO) and Eric Day (board member).
• First Entertainment Credit Union: Howard Welinsky (board member).
• Kinecta Federal Credit Union: Marsha Mathias (director of government relations).
• California Credit Union and North Island Credit Union: Marvel Ford (chief advocacy officer).
• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union: Brent Tercero (executive director of credit union advocacy).
• Wescom Financial: Carina Hollis (senior vice president and general counsel), Melissa Pederson (senior vice president and chief lending officer), Hashim Forrester (senior vice president of remote service delivery), Adriana Welch (senior vice president of branch operations), and Lupe Alvarez (executive assistant).
• California’s Credit Unions: Jeremy Empol (president and CEO), Stephanie Cuevas (senior vice president of federal advocacy), and Irma Goroncio (legislative advocate).

Local credit union leaders remain committed to working hand-in-hand with members of Congress like Sherman to advocate for consumer-first financial policies, innovation, and secure the financial wellbeing of the members they serve.