Conference attendees come together for a final celebration before heading home with their newly acquired knowledge.
7/18/2019 9:00
Big hair, bright colors and Madonna-inspired outfits were in full view Tuesday evening as ACA International and a ballroom packed with conference attendees celebrated the final evening of the 2019 Convention & Expo in San Diego.
The upbeat atmosphere was palpable throughout the three-day Convention which focused on education, networking and advocacy activities to include a highly successful ACPAC (ACA International’s Political Action Committee) event held at the incredible USS Midway (thanks to the Event Title Sponsor Nationwide and additional sponsors BillingTree and Call Center Services International.
Meanwhile, after three days of informative educational sessions and various planned and impromptu business meetings in the bustling Expo Hall, attendees were served a delicious dinner in “America’s Finest City” before witnessing the installation of three officers who will lead the 2019/2020 Board of Directors. The officers, sworn in by former ACA board president and Roger Weiss mentor Nick DiGiovanni Jr., are:
- Roger Weiss, President (IFCCE, president of CACi in St. Louis)
- G. Scott Purcell, President-Elect (president of Professional Credit Service in Springfield, Oregon)
- Kevin Baich, Treasurer (vice president of Day Knight & Associates of Ballwin, Missouri)
Before taking the stage to deliver his first address as president, a perfectly cast slate of speakers shared anecdotes and other information about their professional and social relationships with Weiss.
ACA’s new board treasurer Kevin Baich “hit it out of the park” as the evening’s master of ceremonies! After telling his personal stories about working and socializing with Weiss via ACA and the Missouri Collectors Association, he turned it over to board members Rick Perr and Jack Brown, who each had plenty of funny and complimentary information to discuss in reference to Weiss’ accomplishments, values and integrity.
But the tearjerker of the night occurred when Weiss’ beautifully poised daughter, Anna, took the stage to tell everyone about her exceptional father. “Dad, on behalf of your family and friends—we are so proud of you,” she said.
Beaming with pride, Weiss delivered his first address as board president, thanking his parents, wife, children and others who supported him throughout his journey to career, association and personal excellence. He shared a few anecdotes about working with Perr, Brown, Baich, Purcell, along with the board, staff and association members.
Weiss has big plans for next year, among them his signature program titled EMGAM—Every Member Get a Member. “What that means is that I want every member to take on the accountability of getting another member or reengaging an inactive member,” he told Collector magazine managing editor Anne Rosso May in an interview for a profile article scheduled to run in August.
Watch for updates on Weiss’ presidency throughout the year in Collector, ACA Daily and on all social media channels.
Other News from the Convention
As tradition, the ACA International Council of Delegates elected (and re-elected) a slate of new board members Sunday morning prior to the Convention’s official kick-off. Individuals elected for the first time include:
- Christian D. Lehr, co-owner and VP/COO of Healthcare Collections-I LLC, of Phoenix (three-year term)
- Courtney Reynaud, president and CEO, of Creditors Bureau USA, of Fresno, Calif. (three-year term)
- Stacy J. Willis, director of operations with Account Management Resources LLC, of Oklahoma City (one-year term)
The Council of Delegates re-elected:
- Kevin Baich, vice president of Day Knight & Associates of Ballwin, Missouri, and the board’s new treasurer (see above)
- Jack W. Brown III, president of Gulf Coast Collection Bureau Inc. of Sarasota, Florida, and ACA’s previous board president
- Gregg Swersky, IFCCE, chief relationship officer with Wakefield & Associates in Knoxville, Tennessee
Meanwhile, in case you missed some of the coverage throughout the week, among the highlights, attendees were delighted to hear the inspirational messages delivered by Will Bowen, who discussed a “Complaint Free World,” and Carey Lohrenz, the first female F-14 Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy. (Bowen’s presentation Tuesday was sponsored by interactions, and Lohrenz’s Sunday was sponsored by LucentPay.)
ACA also held a well-received Women4Women (#ACAWomen4Women) reception designed to serve as an organizing event to encourage women to network, share information and begin discussions about the creating a more formal group (sponsored by Hudson Cook). And on Monday, a Young Professionals (#YPGroup) reception was held to inspire networking among ARM employees under 40.
If you didn’t make it to San Diego, remember?it’s not too early to start planning for the 2020 Convention & Expo in Chicago. Mark your calendar for July 15-17, 2020! We’ll see you there!
Editor’s Note: Most sessions in San Diego were recorded. Links to purchase online will be available soon.
Pictured above:
Attendees and staff pose outside the Expo Hall and registration area.
Beth Conklin, account executive at State Collection Service Inc. and Wendy Badger, vice president, corporate compliance, at ECMC, sport their best 80s outfits for the President's Closing Celebration.
ACA Board President Roger Weiss.