Six leaders from California, Nevada, Utah and Washington, D.C. reflected on a landmark 2025 and the collaborative successes empowering credit unions across all three states to deepen their commitment to the “people helping people” philosophy during the mainstage at REACH 2025 on Tuesday.
(View and download event photos from the REACH 2025 Photo Galleries)
The session spotlighted how credit unions have been the engine behind growth in local communities, with credit union leaders successfully engaging consumers, households, businesses, and state and federal policymakers across all three states.
A key theme was the recent 2025 launch of Fuel Solutions — the “evolution over consolidation” nonprofit organization born from the 2024 strategic alliance between California’s Credit Unions, Nevada’s Credit Unions, and Utah’s Credit Unions. Fuel Solutions is designed to provide shared services, education, and support, delivering efficiency and scale while guaranteeing that each state association retains its independent governance and fierce commitment to local advocacy priorities.
Scott Simpson — president of California’s Credit Unions and Nevada’s Credit Unions, and incoming president and CEO of America’s Credit Unions — framed the collaboration as keeping the credit union family together, a strategic necessity for the modern movement. This unified model is focused on delivering tangible legislative and regulatory victories across the tri-state region, driven by the dedicated grassroots engagement of credit union members.
“Your credit unions are a testament to the power of our philosophy,” Simpson said as he faced the audience. “Our success is possible thanks to the commitment of so many. Innovation is meaningless without impact. Your commitment to community remains the bedrock of everything we do, and we want to thank you for bringing your energy, questions, and the spirit of collaboration to this year’s conference.”
Donna Bland, board chair of California’s Credit Unions, opened by celebrating the league’s powerful advocacy wins in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. She thanked member credit union leaders and the league’s team for successfully navigating “one of the most intense and most potentially impactful state legislative sessions of our historical experience.” Bland noted that credit unions’ collective action fended off several legislative threats this year.
Scott Arkills, board chair of Nevada’s Credit Unions and CEO of Silver State Schools Credit Union, also shared opening remarks, welcoming leaders from the Silver State. “Nevada’s Credit Unions had an excellent year and engaged with key political figures to strengthen our advocacy and credit union interests at the state level in Carson City and the federal level in Washington, D.C.,” Arkills said. “We want to thank everyone for their generous support that helped make this year a success.”
Tammy Phillips, chair of Utah’s Credit Unions and CEO of Varex Federal Credit Union, was also present to thank Utah credit union leaders for their outstanding support over the past year. Rusty Cannon, the newly announced permanent CEO of Utah’s Credit Unions, also joined on stage.
Bland then turned to the transition of leadership, acknowledging the vision behind the tri-state alliance partnership before welcoming and introducing Lucy Ito as the new interim CEO for California’s Credit Unions. Ito has a distinguished career, including past leadership roles at California’s Credit Unions, the World Council of Credit Unions, and the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS). Bland expressed the California board of director’s pleasure that Ito agreed to once again “retire from retirement” to serve California’s Credit Unions.
Ito said it is an honor and gift to be back with California’s Credit Unions. “It’s been 11 years — and to leave and then return to what’s been formed by these leaders and all of you in the room is incredible,” she added. “With Fuel Solutions, we are pursuing something that’s never been accomplished before. Our three-state alliance is alive and strong, and we are creating history going forward. I’ve never seen this across state leagues — ever. Our theme this week is ‘honoring our legacy and shaping our future,’ and that’s exactly what our three-state alliance and Fuel Solutions are doing. It’s a mantra I will keep repeating to myself in the time I have with you as interim CEO.”
The focus turned its attention to 2025’s monumental efforts in Washington, D.C., where coordinated action translated into meaningful wins this year. During a “Legacy and Leadership” fireside chat with Simpson and Jim Nussle, outgoing president and CEO of America’s Credit Unions, both leaders reinforced that America’s Credit Unions is now widely viewed by policymakers as a leading advocacy voice on Capitol Hill due to its expanding bipartisan reach. They detailed some of the big regulatory and legislative wins from 2025.
This segment focused on the outgoing and incoming leadership of the national credit union movement on Capitol Hill and charting the path forward. Simpson, who will soon transition to lead America’s Credit Unions, reflected on a two-decade career defined by intense advocacy, beginning in Utah in 2003 when, at age 34, he became the youngest credit union association president in the country.
Simpson and Nussle both emphasized that advocacy should center on defending the core credit union model, citing recent successful efforts to protect credit unions, which is central to the cooperative philosophy. Both have poured their extensive government backgrounds into the long-term discussion on credit unions, noting they have long admired the grassroots advocacy strength of the credit union movement in Congress for many years.
They also underscored the importance of balancing current operational needs with the future of the industry, stressing that the goal is to constantly make sure the credit union story belongs to credit unions. They are proud of the movement’s commitment to “people helping people” during events like government shutdowns, where congressional lawmakers and leaders have been turning to credit unions for assistance stories, which is what brings the industry’s purpose to life.
Nussle stressed that the political environment has fundamentally changed, noting, “The game is not over. Advocacy is 24-7.” He added: “We need your personal voices talking to your members of Congress, telling the story of the credit union difference.”
Simpson agreed, pointing out that while credit unions are all unique and face different challenges, “our shared mission keeps us grounded.” He praised the industry’s commitment, paraphrasing that in times of crisis, “credit unions are the financial first responders,” affirming that his own strategy will be to “always listen and be responsive to our members.”
Simpson and Nussle both articulated a clear strategic focus for Simpson’s new role, stating that the entire movement must stay focused on people. “How is your credit union serving its members?,” Nussle concluded as he posed a question to the audience. “If we stay true to our mission, as we have throughout our decades-long history, we will continue to thrive.”
Attendees and League staff will be sharing photos, comments, and memories through LinkedIn at #CUatREACH.
REACH is one of the credit union industry’s premier annual events, attracting leaders and system partners from across California, Nevada, and the United States. It is held from October 27-30 at JW Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert, CA this year.
