Highlights from the “Origin Story” column in Collector magazine, where ACA members share how they got started in the ARM industry, plus their thoughts on professional development and career growth.
04/22/2024 2:25 P.M.
4.5 minute read
In each issue of Collector magazine, we talk to an ACA International member about how they got started in the accounts receivable management industry. Their stories are truly fascinating. Some come to the industry through their family business, some take what they think is a part-time job only to have it grow into a lifetime career, and some pivot from an entirely different field (like the NFL or law enforcement).
We curated some nuggets from the magazine’s “Origin Story” column that highlight members’ career growth experiences and insights, with takeaways you can apply to your own industry journey.
What’s something you wish you had known when you were first starting out in this industry?
“I wish I would have started attending industry events sooner than I did. I would see emails about things that were happening, but if you don’t bring it to your leadership’s attention and tell them, ‘I think this would be valuable for me,’ it’s possible no one will push you to go. I think advocating for myself to participate sooner would have really helped me. In addition to the education, one of the biggest things you get out of conferences are the connections to people. You walk away with new ideas and different ways of doing things. In my experience, people are more than willing to say, ‘Oh, you’re struggling with that at your agency? This is what we do, maybe you can try this.’”
– Lindsey Carlston, CMS Director, PSB*MARS
Read her story here.
“For people just getting started in this industry—and specifically in a compliance role—I’d give them this advice: Prepare yourself, because this is not an easy industry. Compliance executives help protect the organization, so you have to be on top of everything. Make sure you’re ready to read a lot, make sure you’re ready to attend a lot of seminars, and make sure you’re ready to travel to conferences and brainstorm with other compliance professionals so you can be well-versed in everything going on in the industry.”
– DeJuan Renfroe, vice president of compliance, RGS Financial
Read his story here.
What is a goal you have for yourself?
“I want to keep growing, and I always try to look for the ‘wins,’ big and small. If a day goes by and I can’t think of a win, I know I need to do something different the next day.”
– Bill Blevins, vice president of client success, PFC|USA
Read his story here.
“My personal goal for the future is to find more mentors within our industry. I want that raw form of mentorship, where the gloves come off and somebody’s willing to be vulnerable with you and really give you the truth. I’d also like to mentor other leaders. I’m still a relatively young leader to be a CEO, and I think I could help people who are new to that role, especially if they came into it from outside of their organization.”
– Melissa Plunkey, president & CEO, L J Ross Associates, Inc.
Read her story here.
“My goal every day is to learn more than I did the day before about the industry, about what patients and providers are going through and to do my best to be as impactful as I can.”
– Reggie Hodges, regional vice president, Capio
Read his story here.
What are you proud of?
“I decided to propose a reorganization of the company’s in-house team of attorneys. My idea was to stratify the attorney group, which would create rewarding career paths for in-house attorneys that didn’t previously exist. I presented the proposal to my manager and subsequently to human resources. As the most tenured manager, I leveraged that tenure, experience and skills for the highest position in the proposal. Subsequently, the company named me its founding national managing attorney of legal recovery. I’m proud of my leadership role in the restructuring. I saw the need and took it upon myself to do the legwork and push it through.”
– Zulema Green, national managing attorney, litigation, Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC, a U.S. subsidiary of PRA Group Inc.
Read her story here.
“We’re in the account resolution business. We help consumers find a way to resolve a situation they haven’t been able to figure out on their own. It’s not personal, and they aren’t bad people. In many cases, something happened that left them in a difficult position. We really focus on trying to help them through their challenges with respect. That’s one of the big things that gets me up every morning and drives me.”
– Chris Dunkum, president, First Collection Services
Read his story here.
How to Read Collector Magazine
Collector magazine is ACA’s bimonthly, digital-first publication. We print one special edition a year: the July/August issue, which is available both digitally and in print for all ACA members (check your mailboxes the first week of July!).
The digital edition of Collector allows you to:
- Search through the last four years of Collector issues.
- Click links for direct access to online content and advertiser information.
- Share links to articles on social media sites.
- Download a stand-alone version for offline reading or to print articles.
Read the latest issue right here, and see the full archive here.
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