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It is with profound sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of one of our team and family here are Hodges, Avrutis & Foeller. Novie was a central figure here and has been on this journey with us for about 20 years. During that time, Novie has been instrumental in all aspects of what we do here. She knew this industry very well and she always had a much-needed perspective when Tom and I were considering various changes. I remember very well when the recession hit us in late 2008 and early 2009, our revenue just evaporated and we were scrambling to survive. Novie volunteered to reduce her pay rate so that we could help keep more people employed rather than laying people off. That is the type of person she was – she genuinely cared about people.
Those that knew her knew that Novie did not like the spot light and she was a very private person so I want to honor that here and be brief. However, I also wanted to recognize her passing and extend our condolences and deepest sympathy to her family and friends. Rest in peace, Novie.
It is hard to believe it has been so long since we posted any type of update to any of our media outlets but, as most can understand, life has been very busy. Normally I attend several conferences and industry events throughout the year. I use those experiences as a basis for educational updates, process improvements, and client networking ‘stories’ to share with our staff and also to present on our media outlets. Unfortunately, I was very busy last fall and skipped some events and then the onset of COVID-19 has kept me from attending any events and my interactions with my colleagues around the country has been minimal.
Thankfully, I am happy to advise that all of us at HAF have been healthy and we have been keeping very busy. We’ve had our share of bumps along the way in trying to adjust to the ‘new normal’ that keeps changing. I am happy to share that our office has been open the entire time and we have been able to continue our efforts on behalf of our clients. The Court system in Florida is largely open for business and we are getting things moving. There are still some counties and some Judges that have large backlogs, and there are some areas that are struggling with adopting some of the technology solutions to assist in keeping civil litigation cases moving. But the Judges and clerks that we work with are working hard to resolve problem areas and get back to work as soon and as much as possible. As such, we are very optimistic looking forward and working hard to adjust, adapt, and evolve as needed.
With that, all of us here at HAF extend our well wishes and we hope that all of our friends, colleagues, and clients around the world are staying healthy and doing well!
NCBA Spring 2019
Scott Foeller attended the Spring Conference for the National Creditors Bar Association (NCBA -
https://www.creditorsbar.org/ ) in Minneapolis Minnesota May 15th through 18th. The NCBA is an association of attorneys and other credit professionals servicing and specializing in protecting creditor’s rights and remedies. While there, he attended open meetings with representatives from several lenders in the credit card and auto loan industries. A special thanks to Yale Levy and Robin Cole, President and Executive Director of the NCBA, respectively, for another excellent conference. It appeared to be very well attended and the networking opportunities as well as the education sessions make it well worth the time and cost to attend.
CLLA Spring 2019
Mr. Foeller attended the 125th National Convention of the Commercial Law League of America (CLLA).
https://clla.org/125th-national-convention-a-success/
The conference was held in early May at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida. The conference had approximately 120 attendees, plus several vendors, speakers, and guests. As usual, it was a great opportunity to meet and connect with forwarders, agencies, and clients from near and far. Additionally, Tim Wan was sworn in as president of the CLLA and all are looking forward to his leadership over the coming year. Educational sessions and various round-table discussions were also held throughout the conference. Discussions on various topics and trends in the industry, as well as other areas and issues confronting our peer organizations. The CLLA is a great organization and Hodges, Avrutis & Foeller is proud to be a member!
Scott Foeller attended the International Association of Commercial Collectors – IACC - (www.commercialcollector.com) meeting in Miami on January 17th and 18th 2019. As usual, the conference was a great opportunity to meet and network with our current clients as well as several new prospects. Mr. Foeller was able to spend some time with our friends and colleagues within the collections industry.
In addition to participating in the annual business meeting for the IACC, attendees were also provided with updates and recent happenings with the GDPR implementation and compliance, as well as new developments within the TCPA and FDCPA compliance arena.
It was a quick but a very informative two days and, as always, it was a fun and well-run conference by Jessica Hartman, the Executive Director for IACC.
Scott Foeller recently attended the Annual Meeting for Commercial Collection Agencies of America (CCA of A ) in Delray Beach, Florida. It was two and a half days of meetings and networking with colleagues and current and prospective clients. The event was hosted at the Delray Beach Marriott which has been the situs for the last several years and it is a wonderful location and facility. Meetings focused on recent trends and developments in such areas as cyber security, crypto currency, best practices standards, and regulatory oversight and enforcement. Firms from around the county shared experiences and strategies on how to survive and thrive in the ever changing environment in which we operate. A big THANK YOU and JOB WELL DONE to Annette Waggoner for her tireless efforts in keeping CCA of A as a relevant and growing organization !
http://www.commercialcollectionagenciesofamerica.com/
Mr. Foeller recently attended the CLLA / IACC conference in Chicago Illinois. The event was co-hosted by the Commercial Law League of America and the International Association of Commercial Collectors, Inc., two trade organization to which our Firm is a long standing member. The event had an attendance of 185 members, many of which are business partners with our Firm. Discussions were held on a wide range of topics such as pending legislative bills to modify the FDCPA and CFPB as well as bills to modification the Bankruptcy code related to filing jurisdictions. We also discussed the recently enacted General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, and how members are adapting to facilitate compliance with that regulatory framework. All in all, it was a very well run, organized and informative visit to Chicago and we are looking forward to the next CLLA / IACC meetings.
Mr. Foeller attended the National Creditors Bar Association (NCBA) conference in Austin Texas recently. The NCBA, which is formerly known as NARCA, is a national association of attorneys and participants in the collections and creditor representation arena. While at the conference, Mr. Foeller was able to meet privately with several of our largest clients and attend educational sessions covering the latest developments and trends in several areas of creditor representation. An in depth analysis and discussion on topics such as the latest developments in EFTA requirements and recent trends in demand letter litigation were extensively covered. Additionally, it is a great opportunity to network and socialize with other collections professionals from around the country and discuss a wide variety of issues and best practices to bring back and implement in our internal processes.
If interested in NCBA, please see their webstie :
https://www.creditorsbar.org/default.aspx
Attorney Scott Foeller attended the IACC Conference this month. The event was a success and offered some very good education and networking opportunities. He was able to attend some very nice, quality learning sessions during the conference. We are looking forward to continued working relationships with all and seeing everyone again next year!
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