ALEXANDRIA, Va. — NCUA Director of Public and CongressionalAffairs John McKechnie is familiar enough with the issues to do hisjob, but has re-learned how to look at and present them.

“It is different enough to be interesting and it's similarenough to understand,” he said of his first year at NCUA afterleaving as CUNA's top lobbyist. “At the same time I think the merefact that of working for a federal agency where you go beforeCongress and are asked to give objective analysis, rather than mydays at a trade association as a credit union advocate, that's adifference.”

But, rather than lobbying for a particular membership,McKechnie's job now is to “persuade” and help the agency serve as aresource to Congress. “I think I can still persuade, I'm just notcoming at it from an advocate's perspective. I'm coming at it morefrom where the public policy value is in a particular issue,” heexplained.

Also similar to his previous employer, McKechnie looks at howregulation fits into the relevant statutes at NCUA. “But,” hedifferentiated, “you're in the position at an advocacy group oftrying to represent your members' interests before Congress, whichis a very healthy process. This is also a very healthy process. Ithink any financial institutions regulator, whether they be forcredit unions or banks, has got to look at the Hill as a partner.”McKechnie added that it is crucial for NCUA to help Congressunderstand the agency's role.

You cannot take Capitol Hill out of the lobbyist and McKechnieis there every chance he gets. He said he feels strong support fromthe NCUA Board to spend a lot of time on the Hill, “so I've beenable to go up to the Hill and cultivate a relationship and justtalk to people.” Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) and his staffare one example, but he likes to emphasize to members of Congressthat NCUA is there to be helpful, whether as a legislative resourceor regarding a constituent complaint.

McKechnie has had a couple major issues to contend with duringhis short tenure at the agency. He came in at a time when NCUA hadto improve its image over the issue of credit union conversions tomutual savings banks. The perception on the Hill was that theagency was trying to be obstructionist, McKechnie explained. “Oneof the things I tried hardest to do in my first few months herewas…remind Congress that there's a significant consumer protectionangle to the conversion issue and that is that the members own theinstitution,” he said. “The members ought to make the decisionabout whether or not a credit union should be a credit union.”

The entire issue for NCUA comes down to proper member disclosurein the conversion process, which McKechnie said, came through atthe Financial Services hearing last May. “I think it's resulted inthe agency being a lot more favorably viewed on the Hill on thatissue now,” he observed.

Additionally, NCUA had been charged with measuring federalcredit union service to those of modest means, which resulted inthe Member Service Assessment Pilot program report being deliveredto Congress. “That story was an important story to tell Congress,”he recalled. “Credit unions are constrained by field of membershipbut within that constraint credit unions are doing a good job ofserving people of all income strata.” At that time, even creditunion advocates on the Hill wanted some answers.

McKechnie concluded, “This agency has a very solid history. It'sa very well run agency. The safety and soundness record of thisagency is exemplary and I think our agency has a particularly goodstory to tell. When you have a good story to tell, you tend to wantto tell it.”

McKechnie commented, “I really do feel appreciated by the boardhere. That's meant a lot to me and to my career. It makes coming towork here every day a real pleasure.” He also said he knows he isable to rely on NCUA's professional staff for support. “Theatmosphere of collegiality here is impressive.”

Another commonality between his posts at NCUA and CUNA is that“your credibility is key to your success,” he said. “If you don'thave a credible profile with people on the Hill, people don't trustyour information and your judgment, you're in trouble.”

Likewise, McKechnie said dealing with the press, which he didsome of at CUNA and had done in his previous work on the Hill, hassimilar demands. “I think a lot of the basic tenants of workingwith the media, apply to working with Congress as well–be honestand credible and forthright,” he said, adding that he sees thelarge learning curve there is to improve in the mainstream mediaconcerning credit unions.

Tying public and congressional affairs together, McKechnie hasbegun notifying members of Congress immediately when the agencygives a technical assistance grant to a low-income credit union inhis or her district. “In a lot of cases, they are able to work withconstituents and talk about it…Everybody feels much better aboutthe program and I think it's a tangible thing that Congress cansee–yes, NCUA is helping fulfill this mission of credit unions byreaching to people on the lower rungs of the economic ladder,” hesaid. The local media recently picked up on Congressman Nick Rahall(D-W.V.) acknowledging a CDRLF grant.

McKechnie grew up in Baltimore, which likely helped spur hisinterest in politics being so close to Washington, D.C. (The sportsfan was particularly pained to see the Colts win the Super Bowlafter leaving Baltimore the way the team did so many yearsago.)

However, McKechnie said his primary influence in politics andfor entering into the political arena is late President RonaldReagan. “Not a day goes by that I don't think about something hedid.” –[email protected]