NAFCU Executive Vice President of Governmental Affairs DanBerger said when he takes over for retiring President/CEO Fred Becker this summer,it will be “business as usual”, and he has no plans to make anymajor changes to the trade association.

Berger said NAFCU's current strengths in advocacy, education andcompliance will continue to be top priorities after he takes overon Aug. 1.

Two equally weighted issues to challenge credit unions in 2013,Berger said: regulatory burden and protecting the credit uniontax exemption.

Credit unions can expect more regulations from the NCUA and CFPB, and in anticipation, NAFCU beefed up its compliancedivision, hiring new attorneys to provide assistance tomembers.

He also said NAFCU will continue to be vigilant cementingsupport for the credit union tax exemption as Congress considerstax reform and ways to increase revenue. The tax study NAFCUcommissioned last fall has been well received among lawmakers, theveteran lobbyist said.

“When we've visited Capitol Hill, members of Congress said welove our credit unions, but you have to prove the value of your taxstatus to the American taxpayer,” Berger said. “So, that's why wedid a qualitative and quantitative analysis, to protect theexemption.”

Berger has big shoes to fill replacing Becker, said IndependentCommunity Bankers of America President/CEO Camden Fine. However,Fine said Berger has a terrific personality and is well liked onCapitol Hill.

“They won't miss a step,” Fine said of Berger taking over forBecker. “They couldn't have picked a better person.”

The leaders of two of the largest NAFCU member credit unions,the $51.5 billion Navy FCU and the $15 billion Pentagon FCU, bothpraised Berger as their trade's new chief.

Navy FCU's President/CEO Cutler Dawson said he knows Berger welland he has every expectation he will be “excellent” in the topposition.

Frank Pollack, PenFed president, echoed that sentiment and addedthat his team was “particularly pleased that they were able to drawfrom within the NAFCU family for the job.”

Becker called Berger the right choice at the righttime.

“He is a creative, strong leader respected for his integrity andcan-do attitude. I'm confident he will lead NAFCU to furthersuccess and I know I am leaving the association in good hands,”Becker said.