Industry success highlights power of collaborative approach
As Ohio credit unions look ahead to 2026 and beyond, Ohio Credit Union League President Paul Mercer emphasized that collaboration will remain the movement’s greatest strength amid rapid change, from emerging technologies to evolving fraud and advocacy challenges.
In a new op-ed for CUToday, Mercer noted the league remains rooted in Cooperative Principle Six—cooperation among cooperatives—and Ohio credit unions continue to demonstrate that working together enables them not only to adapt, but to thrive while protecting members’ financial futures.
“And think about our collective efforts to protect the credit union tax status in the One Big Beautiful Bill,” he wrote. “Despite bank lobbyists’ best efforts, we once again demonstrated our collective strength and protected credit unions and members from feeling the harmful effects of increased taxation at a time when they can least afford it.
“These important victories show the power of credit union connection and collaboration. It’s not only one of our greatest strengths as a movement, but also what makes us stand out from other financial institutions and industries,” he added.
As new challenges and opportunities emerge in 2026, Mercer called on credit unions to recommit to their cooperative principles and the collaborative spirit the industry was founded on, focusing on what they can accomplish together for members and the broader movement.