There's a new league CEO in town ... Jeremy Empol, who took the helm at California's Credit Unions and Nevada's Credit Unions in March, replacing Scott Simpson, who now serves as president/CEO for America's Credit Unions. Empol is stoked about having returned to "the League," as he still affectionately calls it, where he served as SVP of Federal Government Affairs for 16 years before departing for a briefer stint at the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.

In this episode of Shared Accounts With CU Times, Empol takes some time out of his hectic schedule to talk us through his vision for the trade associations, reflect on his professional journey, and discuss the top advocacy issues and challenges impacting credit union leaders in the Golden and Silver States.

Empol also offers his thoughts on the leadership changes taking place at the NCUA, and shares his enthusiasm for supporting small credit unions in the states his organization represents (he even keeps a pin, pictured here, on his desk shaped like a set of boxing gloves with the lettering "CFTC PRD," which stands for Connect for the Cause, a grassroots campaign created by a small credit union CEO; and payroll deduction, a primary avenue for PAC fundraising).