Did you miss any of our member spotlights during Black History Month? Read our recap of insights from Black leaders in the ARM industry.
02/27/2023 2:50 P.M.
3.5 minute read
This month, ACA International highlighted Black leaders’ voices during Black History Month and invited them to share how they celebrate, including what they feel is most important for developing diversity and inclusion opportunities within the accounts receivable management industry and beyond.
“In reflecting on Black History Month, I think about the leaders who taught with the way they lived their life in the service of others,” said ACA CEO Scott Purcell. “George Washington Carver is one of those leaders who overcame racism, in part, because of his tremendous efforts to improve the lives of others. Despite the injustice of being judged by the color of his skin, he never let that deter him from his true identity. You may recall how his five-minute speech lobbying Congress on peanut tariffs in 1921 enamored the committee to where they gave him an unlimited amount of time, ending in thunderous applause. From a business perspective, our industry will do well following this insight of his: ‘When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.’
However, from a societal perspective with the goal of building a truly inclusive world is this insight from him that I so appreciate, ‘Fear of something is at the root of hate for others and hate within will eventually destroy the hater. Keep your thoughts free from hate, and you need have no fear from those who hate you.’”
Now that February has come to a close, we’ve rounded up our member profiles from the month. Read on to hear how Black leaders in the ARM industry have celebrated.
Member Spotlight: Keshonda Walker
Keshonda Walker, director of compliance at InvestiNet, shared the importance of supporting and uplifting Black-owned businesses, educating her community about debt and money management, and sharing the stories of her community during Black History Month.
“Black History Month is important because it’s not only a part of my history as an African American, but it is a part of the history of America in general,” she said. “I love this country for its diversity and the many stories of its people, and I believe that all those stories should be represented as a part of our country’s history.”
Member Spotlight: Joe Westerfield
In his interview, Joe Westerfield, director of collections at Moneytree Inc., reflected how his company celebrates and honors individuals from different backgrounds.
“I celebrate and honor Black history every day by being my best self,” he said. “I try to walk through the doors that were opened for me by the historically colored people before me. Our staff at Moneytree is a diverse group of talented individuals who are dedicated to our core values of positivity, integrity, authenticity, teamwork and extraordinary service. There is no other place like it!”
Member Spotlight: Brea Perry
Lastly, Brea Perry, client services performance manager at InvestiNet, shared that Black History Month is about having those “tough” conversations and encourages companies to reach out to diverse communities for hiring initiatives.
“I am someone who always seeks to keep conversation going when it comes to topics like race, equality and diversity,” she said. “My company embraces diversity on one of the most important fronts—hiring! They make sure to externally hire a diverse group of people and are great about promoting from within to ensure diversity across all departments and levels. I have worked in companies that preached diversity before and could not find anyone else who looked like me among my colleagues, but my current company backs up their words with actions, which is great to see.”
Do you know a member you would like to see featured in ACA Daily’s Member Spotlight or Collector magazine’s Origin Story? Would you like to share your story? We are also looking to highlight our international members and new members of ACA. Reach out to our communications team at [email protected] with your ideas. We’d love to hear from you!
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