California’s Credit Unions and Nevada’s Credit Unions President and CEO Scott Simpson — who takes the reigns as president and CEO of America’s Credit Unions on November 3 — defines the industry’s political struggle against the banking lobby as a “David versus Goliath” battle in the latest Shared Accounts podcast with Credit Union Times.
During the 55-minute podcast (starting at 15:40-minute mark), Simpson lays out a strategic vision centered on leveraging the movement’s grassroots power to defend and enhance the operating environment for credit unions. As it has for many decades, America’s Credit Unions must prioritize what he calls the “organizational imperative” of advocacy, particularly as the industry is “wildly out-resourced economically” compared to banking lobbyists.
Simpson, who is succeeding Jim Nussle, noted the scale of this challenge and opportunity. It includes guiding a large organization while keeping local credit union associations and leagues engaged with legislative efforts.
He says his path to the upcoming leadership role at America’s Credit Unions was unexpected, since he didn’t apply directly but was nominated by friends in the movement. It’s an opportunity he embraced because of his love for the industry.
When asked how credit unions continue surviving intense attacks from bankers, Simpson pointed to what he describes as the movement’s foundational strength, its “ground game.” This strategy involves reaching into every congressional district and leveraging the local identity of credit union members, who are also registered voters.
Credit union leaders can bring “the full weight of our undeniable credit union member-will to all of our congressional state delegations,” equipping the movement with political intelligence and tools to activate members so they have the power to make an impact. This approach proved successful in 2025, enabling credit unions to successfully “survive the congressional budget reconciliation bill” and move out of defense mode concerning their tax-exempt status.
Simpson is also longtime president and CEO of Utah’s Credit unions, leading all three state associations since 2024. As he and his family prepare to transition from their home in Salt Lake City, UT to Washington, D.C., he addressed industry issues on the podcast that will define his tenure, emphasizing collaboration with state leagues and associations, including:
Simpson says he is focused on unity and purpose. The movement’s goal is to define its imperative and filter every action through the lens of defending the credit union operating environment.
“Primarily, it’s about getting to the organizational imperative of America’s Credit Unions, and why it exists for the benefit and mission of credit unions,” Simpson said. “There are a lot of ecosystem-related imperatives related to keeping the credit union family together. It’s all connected.”
You can listen to the entire CU Times Shared Accounts podcast here.
