WASHINGTON-CUNA promoted two of its senior staffers last week, Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff Richard McBride announced. John McKechnie, senior vice president of governmental affairs, was given the additional title of special assistant to the president, a new position for CUNA, to reflect his expanded role at CUNA as the liaison with associated groups, like WOCCU, according to McBride. "The change also acknowledges John's overall involvement with the development and implementation of strategies dealing with the intense and numerous banker assaults on the credit union movement," McBride commented. McKechnie joined CUNA in 1987 as a senior legislative representative and director of political action. In addition, Richard Gose was promoted to senior vice president of political affairs; he formerly served as vice president of political affairs. McBride said the promotion was given in recognition of Gose's innovative efforts and ideas to develop new and better programs in grassroots and political fundraising. He noted that CULAC is now the fifth largest political action committee in the country by contributions to federal candidates and has consistently been one of the largest and most active PACs for several years running, "a testament to Richard's tireless commitment in conjunction with the Leagues to credit union political action," McBride said. Gose began working for CUNA in 1998 as vice president of political action and grassroots.