Clear Lake, Texas – If you've been listenin' to the preachin', you've heard this message before: Establish key contacts with legislators before a need arises, and it will pay big dividends later. In support of this theory, JSC Federal Credit Union recently hosted Congressman Nick Lampson as part of his "Worker for a Day" program. Congressman Lampson (D, 9th Texas) learned about and worked in a variety of credit union departments during his three-hour stay. The congressman also visited with members as they came in to conduct transactions. "This was an excellent opportunity for Congressman Lampson to become acquainted with credit union philosophy, and JSC FCU specifically," said Mike Brown, JSC FCU President. "We were particularly glad to see him chat with a number of members as they came in. Satisfied members are the best testament to our commitment to service." As a member of the Congressional Science Committee, Congressman Lampson is a strong advocate for Johnson Space Center and the entire NASA manned space program. Approximately 50% of the credit union's membership is affiliated with Johnson Space Center (or its primary subcontractors), the original sponsor of the credit union. "We have a good relationship with the Congressman, and he has a good voting record as far as credit unions are concerned, but we wanted him to have a greater understanding of how credit unions differ from other financial institutions," said Taylor Wells, JSC FCU vice president of marketing. The invitation to participate in the "Worker for a Day" program was extended to JSC FCU Board members during a meeting in the Congressman's Washington, D.C. office earlier this year. With a month to prepare for the Congressman's visit, the credit union set specific goals for his time spent there. "We didn't want and he didn't want it to be just a photo op," Wells said. "We spent the first half hour talking with him in the President's office, and then he spent time in just about every department – behind the teller counter, in accounting, marketing, collections, administration, information services. Because of privacy issues, he couldn't open loans or perform other transactions, but he could meet with members and become more familiar with our business." According to Wells, Congressman Lampson benefited from the visit by gaining a greater understanding of what his constituents in the area want and need. The benefit to the credit union? "Our credit union is the largest in the Houston area. The Congressman now knows how important we are in the lives of our members," said Wells. "If he goes back to Washington with a better idea of who we are and what we do, he'll be more likely to vote favorably on issues that affect credit unions." – [email protected]