NACM's 107th Credit Congress--member perspective.

Members Jerry A. Drake, CCE and Norman Taylor, CCE contributed to this year's coverage of NACM's annual Credit Congress, as well as several NACM staff.

In my never-ending quest to continue my education, certification points and professional networking opportunities I attended NACM's 107th Credit Congress & Exposition, held June 1st through 4th, 2003, at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, Florida. This was no Mickey Mouse experience, but a very intense (mixed with a little social fun with other credit professionals) educational conference. I walked away refreshed and packed with knowledge to utilize and share with my company and colleagues. As in the past, there were more sessions and networking opportunities than I could possibly cover as a single attendee. Here are some of the highlights!

GENERAL SESSION

On Monday, June 2, 2003, I attended the General Session. Robin D. Schauseil, CMP, President & Chief Operating Officer of NACM opened the session on a sad and very somber note. She announced that Constance (Connie) G. Finerty, Chairman of NACM Hawaii, passed away suddenly the previous evening. Robin praised the many accomplishments and dedicated involvement Connie provided to our association. Connie will be deeply missed and we all offer our prayers and condolences to her family, friends, and her NACM Hawaii co-members. Robin dedicated the morning's session to the memory of Connie. While this was indeed a very sad situation it was good to see the outpouring of grief and sentiment in respect of a fellow member. Our association is not just about education--it is about people and the love, care, and support we give to each other. We not only share our happy times and knowledge, we also support and hold up one another at times of misfortune and grief.

2002-2003 NACM Chairman of the Board, Stanley R. DeGroot, CCE, welcomed us to the 107th NACM Credit Congress. He said this year's conference will be an excellent opportunity to sharpen one's knowledge in credit, focus on our careers and expand our horizons. Stan said his own experience of attending these conferences inspired him to get involved; and that serving in volunteer positions with your local NACM Affiliate and/or on the national NACM level is a very rewarding experience. Stan encouraged all of us to take the time to get involved.

Stan reported that the NACM's National Strategic Task Force, with the help of the NACM Affiliates, has ironed out a new Affiliate Agreement. This has taken two years to process and will hopefully be in place by early next year. This agreement creates an ongoing partnership between National and the Affiliates to work as equal partners for the benefit of our membership.

Stan also reported that the NACM Board of Directors are earnestly working on major revisions to the bylaws. One of the revisions is to reduce the size of our National Board; thereby creating a more nimble and responsive body to our membership. The details are still being worked on, with the goal of focused continuity towards addressing the needs of our organization. He said a new membership marketing campaign entitled "Member--Get A Member" is in preparation, and more information will follow later this year. Stan said that even with an overall decline in membership, three affiliates experienced positive growth this past year--NACM Southern Group NACM Southern Tier and NACM of Texas. Stan asked all of us to participate in the monthly Credit Manager's Index (CMI). The CMI was developed this past year with the help and expertise of George Gallinger, Ph.D., Arizona State University; and is an economic indicator of the general trends that credit managers see each month. It has been covered in Barron's Magazine, on Bloomberg's web site, on Dow Jones' Newswire, and by UPI--and is gaining press in others. The Wall Street Journal has asked to be posted on the monthly results. It is impressive to know that our profession is being called upon as a leading authority to predict key economic trends.