ACA Governance Changes: What Does this Mean for Members?

Dave Rudd

On December 15, 2011, the ACA International Board of Directors approved dramatic (but, needed) changes to ACA’s Standard Operating Procedures. On Thursday, March 22, 2012, the general membership of ACA International took the next step forward by voting to update the Association’s outdated bylaws and approving the recommended Governance Transition Plan.

What does this mean to me and you?

According to my understanding, it signifies greater representation at the unit level and more involvement with the general membership. This change in representation is especially evident with the formation of a new governing body, the Council of Delegates, which is most comparable to ACA’s original board of directors. However, delegates will be elected by individual units, divisions, and companies with 13+ ACA Members.

Council Responsibilities:

• Elect ACA Directors
• Remove ACA Directors
• Approve ACA Bylaws
• Receive reports from Directors and Committees
• Bring proposals/issues to the Board of Directors
• Report to constituents

Other governance changes include eliminating the Executive Committee, refining the duties of Offices and Board of Directors and updating the process to amend Bylaws and Standard Operating Procedures.

We will see how this Council and the new organization will work moving forward.  I’m hopeful it means more involvement by the general membership.

Congratulations to ACA International and its membership as we reach the finish line of a long, revolutionary journey to modernize the Association’s governance structure. Now we have the task of putting into place the actions that have been approved and mobilizing the general membership’s involvement in the updated organization. Please attend the Annual ACA International convention in July so you can witness the final implementation of these innovative changes.

As an Affiliate Member of ACA International, I thank all involved in this process. Your countless hours of hard work are appreciated. Your vision of the future is great, and I look forward to working hand-in-hand with you as we move forward.

Dave Rudd is DialerFan, a champion of the collection industry, focused on improving collection capabilities through technology and political action. He energetically participates in lobbying efforts for the industry through donations, writing letters, making phone calls, participating in seminars and attending events in Washington D.C., including the most recent ACA International Fly-In.

Well acquainted with debt collection, Dave spent two years debt collecting before joining IAT in 1990. He has held a variety of positions at IAT — a provider of collection-specific dialing technology — including President/CEO and most recently Senior VP of Finance & Administration.