BOSTON – JoAnn Johnson, in her first appearance before a league group since being confirmed as a NCUA Board member, spoke to credit union officials and executives gathered for the Massachusetts Credit Union League's Annual Governmental Affairs Day and emphasized to them the importance of CUs educating legislators about credit unions. It's so much easier to have educated, supportive legislators in place than to have to change someone's mindset later on, Johnson said. She conveyed to attendees a message of regulatory restraint and credit union political activism, and reassured them that, "I will always listen to your perspective on an issue and will always provide you a fair hearing." The league arranged for more than 100 credit union representatives to visit 73 lawmakers' offices. Also speaking at the program were the leading democratic candidates for the Massachusetts gubernatorial race, State Treasurer Shannon O'Brien; state Sen. Andrea Nuciforo, Jr., the chairman of the Joint Committee on Banks and Banking which oversees credit union bills; and state Rep. Salvatore DiMasi, Majority Leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.