What makes ACA so great? The people who power it.
9/13/2019 8:00
By Mark Neeb
Amid all the excitement at ACA’s Annual Convention & Expo in July, I couldn’t help but notice just how unique we are compared to many other associations. I often use the phrase, “ACA is a member-driven organization,” and I thought I’d write this month about just how “member-driven” we really are.
Did you know that we have nearly 25 member and board committees made up of members who volunteer their time and talents to better our association and standing within the financial community? And did you know that roughly 250 members serve on an ACA committee in some capacity? These committees help govern our association, provide educational content, raise money for our advocacy efforts and plan our meetings. People from businesses of all sizes—from one-person shops to companies with thousands of employees—pitch in. Add event speakers to that group of volunteers, and you have a huge nucleus of talented people who give without seeking anything in return. That is what makes ACA so great, and the largest credit and collections association in the world.
It’s been said many times that if you make friends with a bill collector, you’ve made a friend for life. Yes, we are all engaged in this business to make a living for our families and to serve the financial sector and consumers with our very important work, but ultimately it’s relationships that matter most.
Every year we lose a few of these types of people and just a short time ago, we lost our beloved friend Dallas Bunton Sr. When I think of all that is good in people in our industry, I look no further than Dallas. He was beloved by his family, his employees, his peers, his community and his clients. He focused on relationships—on serving people and helping them any way he could.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that some of the most successful people in our industry are also the ones who give their time for the purpose of bettering ACA.
As we embark on another year, under the leadership of ACA President Roger Weiss, let us not forget what we love most about our industry: the people.
Mark Neeb is the CEO of ACA International. Read his column every other month in Collector magazine.
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