The NCUA has confirmed the retirement of Gary Kohn, senior policy adviser for Board Member Gigi Hyland,effective Monday.

“Gary has been absolutely invaluable to me during my tenure hereat NCUA, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to him forhis commitment, loyalty and work over the past six and a halfyears,” Hyland told Credit Union Times.

Senior policy advisors are “critical to the success of a boardmember's efforts,” she added, because they convey the boardmember's policy positions and thinking on issues to the other boardofficers, staff and external constituents.

“Gary has accomplished all of those objectives expertly withconsummate professionalism, integrity, alacrity and anirrepressible sense of humor. I feel so lucky to have worked withhim and to call him a friend,” Hyland said.

Kohn joined the NCUA Jan. 19, 2006 after spending 12 years atCUNA as the trade association's vice president of legislativeaffairs and senior legislative counsel.

Prior to his credit union career, he worked as a lobbyist forthe former Independent Bankers Association of America and theInvestment Company Institute. He is a graduate of GeorgetownUniversity Law Center.

Industry lobbyist John McKechnie, apartner at Total Spectrum, worked with Kohn at both CUNA andthe NCUA and the two went to battle together on several legislativeefforts like H.R. 1151, bankruptcy reform and CURIA. And, both madethe transition to the regulatory agency at the same time.

“Gary and I worked together in one form or fashion for 17years, on every issue imaginable, from every perspectivepossible. He was lobbyist's lobbyist: substantive,politically smart, an honest broker when that wasn't always theeasy thing to be. We differed on our baseball and partisanloyalties, but when it came to credit unions he was a greatteammate and a great friend,” McKechnie, an Orioles fan, said ofthe Yankees booster.

Board Member Hyland has no immediate plans to follow Kohn out of theagency.

“(She) continues to serve on the board,” said Public AffairsSpecialist John Fairbanks.