American Financial Services Association president and chief executive officer Chris Stinebert shared some of the details on Wednesday regarding how the organization has modified and bolstered its strategy now that President Trump is in the White House and Republicans control both segments of Capitol Hill.

During a 10-minute state-of-the-union-style address to a packed room at AFSA’s annual Vehicle Finance Conference, Stinebert outlined how the association modified staff that specializes in GOP leanings that now hold the majority in the U.S. Senate and House. Stinebert reflected back on both the Obama administration and recovery from the Great Recession, how AFSA immediately responded to Trump’s election victory in November and how the association now has what he called a “rare opportunity.”

“It’s going to be an exciting six months,” Stinebert said during his closing moments on stage at the Sheraton New Orleans where a record turnout of finance company executives and other industry players gathered ahead of the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Expo that opens later this week.

“I don’t want to say we’re thrilled in Washington, but we were anticipating a different ending,” Stinebert continued. “We were looking at basically playing defense for at least the next four years. We had been dealt that hand and were hoping we could draw new cards and make some changes.

“Now we have a whole new dynamic. We have major change. We have a new opportunity, and what I would say is truly a rare opportunity that’s unexpected,” he went on to say.

While closing with those thoughts, Stinebert opened by emphasizing how the finance community should “use the lessons that we’ve learned since the Great Recession to make our industry better, more responsive to consumers, while at the same time modifying regulatory and legislative requirements that make no practical sense that restrict our industries, that hurt the accessibility of credit and its affordability.”

In order to bolster those efforts, Stinebert explained AFSA needed to make changes. The association is about to hire a professional who will serve in the newly created position of vice president of Congressional affairs. AFSA already selected the individual who will be its manager of Congressional affairs, moving Susan Sullivan over from her previous post in state government affairs.

“With the makeup of Congress, we thought this was very important. Now we feel we soon will have the people and resources in place to move our agenda,” Stinebert said after shifting away from AFSA staff that specialized in how the Obama administration operated.

While AFSA is adjusting its personnel, Stinebert noted the organization also is keeping watch of the moves made by other associations and lobbying groups within the Beltway, describing how the past eight years often made representatives work closely together.

“As challenging as the last eight years have been, the financial services industry has been united. All of the sister trades — many of you belong to other associations — we were all in singular fight, somewhat united and together,” Stinebert said. “Put it this way, everybody played well in the sandbox for the last eight years.

“But now that’s changed. Everybody wants their priority, their issue to move to the top of the list, the front of the line and be No. 1,” he continued.

“We have priorities, too. We handed out those priorities and the board of directors has approved what we want to do,” Stinebert added.

While AFSA plans to maintain its drive toward planned objectives, Stinebert is hoping alliances strengthened during the past few years suddenly do not become compromised.

“We also recognize we can’t do this alone. We need help in Washington,” he said. We are working on forming a coalition with other groups. It’s sometimes strange bedfellows that you wouldn’t expect because we need allies and we need friends.

“To build momentum in Washington, seldom can you do it as one organization. We count on a lot of other groups that have similar priorities,” Stinebert went on to say.

So AFSA members know what’s happening, Stinebert pledged to maintain strong communications. A product that highlighted developments associated with the transition from Obama to Trump now will pivot its focus on what the new administration does during its first 100 days, which has included a hold on regulatory moves for at least 60 days.

Furthermore, AFSA plans to host conference calls for members since as Stinebert jokingly put it in light of scandalous stories, “as we all know, sometimes email is not the best way to communicate safely.”

Stinebert used an array of analogies to describe Trump’s style.

“We have a new president who I would say is more tilted toward improvisation and Twitter than set programs and policies,” Stinebert said.

“President Trump, he’s a change-up pitcher. He throws curveballs, and we don’t expect a lot of pitches down the middle of the plate,” Stinebert added.

While Trump and other lawmakers might be throwing the unexpected on the financial services industry, Stinebert is hopeful for what could percolate out of the White House and Congress to benefit auto finance companies and related participants.

“This opportunity, whether it’s two years, or four years or eight years, we know it is short-lived. And with hope with the ability to change and we’re looking at lasting change,” he said.