ARLINGTON, Va. — NAFCU Director of Political Affairs Murray Chanow is leaving the trade association.
August 16 will be Chanow's last day with NAFCU after nine years of service.
"I've resigned as the director of political affairs this morning. I've been offered a very exciting opportunity with Sprint/Nextel Corp. as director of government affairs," Chanow explained.
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He was hired in 1997 by then NAFCU Senior Vice President and General Counsel Bill Donovan to lobby specifically on bankruptcy reform while the other lobbyists mostly focused on the Credit Union Membership Access Act (H.R. 1151). Chanow finally saw the fruits of his labor with the signing of the bankruptcy reform legislation into law April 20, 2005. "I spent a lot of time on that bill. I put two kids through pre-school on it," he quipped. He added, "That was my favorite piece of legislation."
Sprint/Nextel is much larger than NAFCU with 58,000 employees compared to NAFCU's approximately 65. However, Chanow pointed out, "NAFCU does represent 25 million people across the country. That's something everyone here takes very seriously."
Despite the size difference, the Sprint/Nextel political action committee is not much larger than NAFCU's; it has gone up and down, according to Chanow, but this election cycle it should reach about $600,000. NAFCU/PAC raised over $400,000 last cycle, he said. NAFCU President and CEO Fred Becker commented upon Chanow's departure, "We've been pleased to have Murray Chanow on NAFCU's staff for the last nine years. His insights and hard work were invaluable to the credit union industry during his tenure here. The entire staff of NAFCU wishes him well in his new opportunity, and we know he leaves lasting professional bonds which he formed at NAFCU."
NAFCU/PAC has grown a lot under his tenure, Chanow said, but NAFCU Associate Director of Political Affairs Erica Anderson deserves most of the credit there. "I'm just part of a good team here…I'm sure I'll have a good team at Sprint/Nextel, too," he said.
Chanow follows a slew of others who have left NAFCU in the last year, including Donovan after 26 years, Director of Regulatory Affairs Gwen Baker, Director of Compliance Linda Dent, NSC President Keith Nolan, Human Resources Director Scott Brown, Regulatory Compliance Counsel Bill Hall, and others.
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