A Crasher’s Story: Life-changing Experience at GAC

Library of Congress FCU's Tyler Lardy described his experience representing Maryland as a Crasher at last month's Governmental Affairs Conference as life-changing. He said the opportunity gave him a deeper appreciation for the passion driving the credit union mission, the industry's strong spirit of collaboration, and the importance of building connections. Lardy also shared his reflections on the experience with the Association…

What surprised me most about the experience was how passionate everyone was about credit unions. We serve a very vital purpose for our communities, and that passion was felt throughout the conference. It left me feeling inspired and proud to be part of an industry that makes such a meaningful impact. I was also surprised by the exhibitors and how they are advancing technology in the credit union space.

The Crasher experience was life changing. I was able to meet so many great leaders within our community, and I'm truly grateful for the friendships I've made, many of which will be lifelong. Professionally, I feel like I've built a network of likeminded, hardworking individuals I can count on and lean on throughout my journey. The talent and passion of my fellow Crashers was amazing, and I'm excited to see where our professional lives take us.

Some key takeaways I left with were how collaborative the credit union network truly is, we are all in this together, a feeling I hadn't experienced until attending GAC. Another key takeaway from my breakout sessions was how important the history of the credit union movement is. It continues to shape our purpose to this day, and I'm grateful to have learned from other credit union professionals. As Maya Angelou once said, "You can't really know where you are going until you know where you have been."