Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. The site of GAC, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. Credit/Shutterstock

What once was called the CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference is now simply the Governmental Affairs Conference – at least for the time being.

CUNA officials announced the registration period for the annual conference held in Washington, D.C. opened on Tuesday as members of CUNA and NAFCU continue voting on the proposed merger of the two organizations.

Since voting ends at 5 p.m. EST on Nov. 1, members of both groups will know if CUNA and NAFCU will become America's Credit Unions well before GAC. Officials believe the announcement will occur sometime around Nov. 2. Next year's GAC is scheduled for March 3-7 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Both CUNA and NAFCU appear confident the merger will be approved since the messaging on the GAC registration page states, "Current members of CUNA, NAFCU and/or state league credit unions are eligible to attend GAC."

In a statement Tuesday about next year's conference, CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle alluded to the merger.

"This event will be essential in elevating the credit union movement not only in 2024, but well into the future as we harness the combined power of national associations, state leagues, credit unions, and system supporters," said Nussle. "As we meet industry headwinds straight on, it's more important than ever to meet with policymakers face-to-face. We need to build on our recent successes and pave the way for a bold advocacy strategy in the future."

NAFCU President/CEO Dan Berger and CUNA's Nussle announced the merger plans on Aug. 1. If approved, Nussle will lead the new organization. Berger plans to step aside to pursue other opportunities at the end of 2023.

It's expected the merger will be legally official by January 2024.

Specific details of the 2024 GAC schedule will be added as speakers and breakout sessions are announced in the months ahead.

According to CUNA, the cost of GAC is $1,295 for in-person attendees and $395 for virtual guests.

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Michael Ogden

Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.