HOT TOPIC: An Advocacy Primer for Current & Future Leaders in Collections

Leah Dempsey has a career marked by success as an advocate for the financial services industry, committed to advancing their priorities at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Communications Commission, other federal agencies, and on Capitol Hill. In her role as Vice President and Senior Counsel for Federal advocacy at ACA International, Dempsey leads efforts to develop and implement ACA’s federal advocacy agenda in Washington, DC. She writes and speaks frequently about the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Unfair Deceptive Abusive Acts and Practices, and federal rules and legislation impacting the accounts receivable management industry.

In her past work, Dempsey served as Senior Director of Advocacy and Counsel at Credit Union National Association, where she led their Consumer Protection Advocacy Team. Additionally, she was the Policy Director for the Community Financial Services Association, and previously served as Legislative Counsel at ACA International.

Dempsey’s career began at the National Republican Senatorial Committee and her prior work also includes working on the legal team for several Republican campaigns. She currently serves on the Debt Collection Practices and Bankruptcy Subcommittee of the American Bar Association’s Consumer Financial Services Committee. She has been honored as a top contributor in the financial services industry by Women in Housing and Finance in their 40 under 40, and as one of the 20 most powerful women in collections. She is also a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association and the Exchequer Club.

Dempsey holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law, and a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science, with a concentration in Journalism from the University of Delaware. Dempsey is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars. She is also engaged in many volunteer activities serving the needs of those in both Baltimore and Washington, DC.

Fran Fisher is the former owner, President, and CEO of Revenue Recovery Consultants, Inc. and is past President of the Virginia Collectors Association. She’s a long-time member of ACA International, having served on the Federal Affairs Committee and the Council of Delegates, representing ACA’s Affiliate Division and the Education Foundation Board of Directors. She currently chairs the Women in Collections Resource Council (WICRC).