President ’ s Report
By Jim Haller , Esq . Sulaiman Law Group , Ltd . Oak Brook , Illinois View Bio
“ NACBA is in the process of creating additional committee opportunities . The more members who become involved , the higher the odds to impact change .”
Dear Members of NACBA ,
Together with my colleagues on the NACBA Board of Directors , I wish you a very happy , healthy and prosperous 2017 !
I am honored and privileged to assume the role of President of NACBA . I am deeply grateful to my predecessor , Ed Boltz , for his leadership and outstanding contributions to NACBA during his presidency . Ed led NACBA for the past four years through many difficult challenges , including the search for our Executive Director ( Dan LaBert ). For an extended period , Ed volunteered as and performed the work of both President and Executive Director , all while maintaining his own law practice . We owe him a debt of gratitude . Though his time as President may be over , his volunteer activity will continue . I have appointed Ed to serve as Co-Chair of NACBA ’ s Legislative Committee .
While 2016 was a challenging year , NACBA emerged stronger than it was in 2015 . NACBA has addressed various technology issues to ease and encourage your engagement with the organization . From the new Communities platform to the Consumer Bankruptcy Journal to the Virtual Fall Workshop to increased Membership Benefits ( professional liability insurance ), the opportunities for ROI on your membership investment are abundant .
NACBA is in the process of creating additional committee opportunities . The more members who become involved , the higher the odds to impact change . Look for invitations to join various committees throughout this year . This is an area of priority for my time as President .
We had a professional and financial setback last Fall when our 2016 Workshop was cancelled due to Hurricane Matthew . The # 1 priority will always be the safety of our membership . Despite the significant impact , all members were refunded their registration fees . Those who booked their cabins through NACBA also had their fees returned . Thanks to successful negotiations with Royal Caribbean , we have a credit with the cruise line for a future ( 2017-18 ) cruise workshop .
NACBA ’ s strength comes directly from the many contributions of our membership . Our members regularly offer their comments to our robust
4 CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY JOURNAL Spring 2017 National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys