aca news
LEADERSHIP
Association Leaders Conduct Strategic Planning Session
On April 6-8, 2010, 19 members and one representative of the ACA
International Board of Directors, along
with six members of the ACA Executive
Management Team, gathered in
Minneapolis to develop the association’s
Discussing the importance of strategic
planning, Harris told participants, “Your
members should be able to look at these
strategic goals and say, ‘That’s why I joined
this association.’”
Among the major areas of discussion
were government affairs, the credit and
collection industry’s public image,
education, membership and association
governance.
In June, the full ACA Board will receive
a draft of the plan for review, followed by
discussion and approval at the Annual
Board Meeting in July. Once approved, the
new plan will be published in Collector and
on ACA Online.
Top: Planning Committee members discussed trends
and issues facing the association and its members.
Bottom: Participants considered and voted on various
options for ACA’s mission statement.
OBITUARIES
ACA Loses Past President and Former Illinois Unit Leader
ACA International lost two association leaders in April, Past President
Ronald J. Schneck and longtime Illinois
Unit leader Annette Lawson.
He also worked as the legislative chair for
the Minnesota Association of Collectors.
He earned ACA’s James K. Erickson
Continuous Service Award in 1996, ACA’s
Paul Bunyan award in 1982 and ACA’s Unit
Leader of the Year award in 1981. He
became an honorary member of ACA in
2003.
Schneck was also regular participant at
ACA’s National Legislative Conference for
many years. During his 1986/87
presidential term, Schneck worked to pass
a federal law to permit the garnishment of
federal employees’ wages and salaries, a
task that was ultimately accomplished in
1993.
Longtime Illinois Collectors Association
Executive Secretary Annette Marie
Lawson passed away on April 21, 2010, in
Wheaton, Ill. She was 97 years old. Along
with husband Russell, she was co-owner
of Tri-County Accounts Service for more
than 30 years.
As a leader in the Illinois Unit, Lawson
was at the forefront of planning and
implementing new and innovative
programs for many years. She acted as an
unofficial advisor to new unit officers
when they first assumed their duties and
counseled new members about the
collection business. Her work earned her
ACA’s Unit Key Person Award in 1995.
