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Follow our tweets and we’ll point you to interesting articles and relevant resources, not to mention take time to interact with you on a personal level–all in 140 characters or less of course!

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June 14, 2010 By : Editor Category : raves spotlight Tags:
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Kinne, Leib, McNamara, and McNaughton Join Editorial Advisory Board

Four industry pros add perspective, ensure balanced editorial

ADEL, IOWASkills World, publisher of the popular credit and collections training publication collector mentor, announces the appointment of Gary Kinne, Bryan Leib, John McNamara, and
Gina McNaughton to the publication’s editorial advisory board.

“Our subscriber base has grown tremendously over the past year,” said Gary Jensen, chief learning officer for Skills World. “collector mentor is now read in more than five countries, and our subscribers represent every market in the industry. The additional board members’ perspective and experience will allow us to continue meeting our goal of ensuring well-balanced, high-quality editorial that meets the diverse needs of all our readers.”

As the premier skill-development publication for frontline credit and collections professionals,
collector mentor delivers insightful and powerful articles in the areas of collections, credit, skiptracing, industry regulations, and soft business skills.

The new board appointments include:

Gary Kinne
Kinne, president and owner of Asset Recovery Inc., has been in the collection industry since 1978. In addition to having third-party collection agency experience, he has also spent time in the healthcare industry. Kinne has been involved in both the state and national levels of ACA International, The Association of Credit and Collection Professionals. On the state level, Kinne served as chair of the Education Committee, and as secretary, vice president, and president of the Georgia Collectors Association. On the national level he has served on ACA’s Online Committee, the Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, and the Education Council. He is a renowned industry trainer who has presented over 350 seminars, including more than 100 in his role as a certified instructor for ACA International.

Bryan Leib
Leib is vice president of operations for international commercial collection agency Leib Solutions based in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. As a second-generation collector, he has grown up in the industry and is actively involved in several industry associations, including serving on the board of directors for the International Association of Commercial Collectors. He has served as a columnist for collector mentor since July 2009, and has a wealth of experience in business-to-business collections. Leib holds a Senior Certified Collection Professional designation, and was named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Collection Professionals in 2008 by Collection Advisor Magazine. In addition, Leib was recently selected to serve on the United Way of Camden County Emerging Leaders Committee.

John McNamara
McNamara is the chief marketing officer at technology firm LiveVox based in San Francisco, California, and also serves as director for third-party collection agency Fidelis Recovery Solutions in Atlanta, Georgia. With more than two decades of experience, McNamara is a highly respected member of the credit and collections industry and is a regular contributor to industry conferences and publications. He was named one of the 50 Most Influential Industry Executives in 2006 by Collection Advisor Magazine, and was the recipient of ACA International’s 2009 Kurt Swersky Leadership Award. McNamara started in the industry as a collector for American Creditors Bureau in 1983. He’s also held the position of senior vice president of banking and retail for First Data, and chief operating officer for Asset Management Outsourcing.

Regina McNaughton (Harris)
McNaughton is a partner with The McNaughton Group, a boutique consulting firm located in Fullerton, California. She has more than 20 years of industry experience, including 16 years with NCO Group, where she started in 1990 at NCO Financial Systems, Inc, in an entry-level position. McNaughton was promoted several times and moved throughout the country to transition several acquisitions. She is recognized as an expert in healthcare collections. In her last position at NCO, she served as regional vice president. In addition, she is active in several industry and philanthropic associations, and the owner of the Debt Collection FDCPA–FACTA–GLBA–FTC Regulations Forum LinkedIn Group.

The editorial advisory board also includes Matthew Campbell, collections manager at Remit Corporation; Ronald S. Canter, Esq., founder of The Law Offices of Ronald S. Canter; Michelle Dunn, president of Michelle Dunn’s Credit and Collections Association; Carol Freeland, president of Acts Plus; David Glezerman, bursar at Temple University; Matt Twitty, customer care manager at Advantage Travel; and Debra Schulze, director of loss prevention at GTE Federal Credit Union.

For more information about collector mentor, or to download a sample electronic copy, please visit www.collectormentor.com.

February 25, 2010 By : Editor Category : raves Tags:,
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Need a quick reminder of how important your job as a collector is?

The abundance of negative news stories can make it very difficult to keep in mind the positive impact that collectors have. So I thought I’d share an article with you.

This story, Making a Difference One Call at a Time, appeared in the Nov/Dec issue of collector mentor.

We hope you (and your staff) enjoy.

Gary Jensen editor

April 23, 2009 By : Editor Category : raves Tags:, ,
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Another Positive Collection Story

Earlier this month we shared the story of Misty Kolva, a debt collector who received flowers from a consumer for her help in untangling a $80k bill. This was proof that positive collection stories do exist regardless of what mainstream media may lead us to believe.

Thanks to ACA International’s new initiative, Debt Collector Stories, it appears that we may soon hear positive stories on a more regular basis. Here is the first episode:

September 27, 2008 By : Editor Category : raves Tags:,
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Debt Collector Helps Consumer, Receives Flowers

Most people send flowers when there is a funeral, an anniversary, or another special event, but a debt collector for Powell, Rogers, and Speaks received flowers from a consumer who had fallen behind bills.

It seems Misty Kolva helped untangle a $80k insurance mess to get the account paid and in doing so won the appreciation of the consumer who sent Misty a thank-you note and bouquet of flowers.

They’re lovely don’t you think? Way to go Misty!

Gary Jensen
Editor collector mentor

September 7, 2008 By : Editor Category : raves Tags:,
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