President's Message
 Mark Duncan

Greetings Fellow ACFA Members & Friends!

What a fantastic time we had at the 16th annual ACFA Convention down at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach! We had a lot of new faces this year in addition to long time attendees and to everyone who attended, it was great seeing you and to those that could not, we sure missed you and hope to see everyone at the Perdido again next July!

Special thanks go out to our Associate members whose generous sponsorships help make conventions such as this possible and we were very blessed to have superb sponsorship again this year. I truly believe that this year's conference was one of the best to date with great fellowship and weather throughout.

It was our great honor to have several guest speakers from the Alabama Legislature attend this year and make very informative presentations during our meetings and events as well as graciously participate in round table discussions with our members. We were also privileged to be joined by representatives of the Alabama Department of Banking, the Alabama Department of Insurance, and the ACFA General Counsel all of whom were kind enough to address us during our meetings and events on governmental happenings that have affected or may affect our industry. It was also great having Ron Gorsline with Hudson Cook speak at our meeting on happenings with the CFPB and to have Ryan Boyle with TransUnion attend and give a very interesting presentation on current consumer credit trends. We cherish our friendships made with these guests as it is always wonderful making new friends and reconnecting with old friends and we certainly look forward to continuing our relationships with all in the future.

I also wish to express appreciation to the membership of the ACFA for having the confidence to elect me as President for the coming year. I look forward to working with our Officers, Board of Directors, and all of our member companies and supporters in continuing to improve your Association for the betterment of our membership and our industry.




ACFA 16th Annual Convention

Thank you to all of our guest speakers that attended the convention.

We had a host of great speakers:

Scott Corscadden, Supervisor, Bureau of Loans, spoke to us about the status of the consumer finance industry in Alabama and also how the CFPB is impacting the department and licensees.

Reyn Norman, Department of Insurance, spoke to us about the legislative bills that were passed this session that were related to insurance products.
 
Paul Compton, ACFA General Counsel, answered questions on any industry related topic that the members requested. 
 
Ron Gorsline, Hudson Cook, LLP spoke to us about the CFPB. The topics that were covered were:  Small Dollar Lending Rules, Proposed Arbitration Changes, Recent Fair Debt Collection Rules, Recent UDAAP Rulings, Military Lending Act Compliance, and Establishing a CFPB Compliance Program.   A COPY OF THIS PRESENTATION WILL BE SENT ON A SUBSEQUENT EMAIL BROADCAST 

Ryan Boyle, TransUnion, gave us an overview of credit trends in the personal loan market and lenders who specialize in offering these products. Get your copy of Ryan's Presentation HERE
 
We held our Annual Business Meeting and elected new officers and directors and awarded scholarships. 
 
A very busy convention!


To Do List Word Cloud Concept with great terms such as tasks projects check box and more.
New Officers & Directors
Election held at the Annual Business Meeting

At the Annual Business Meeting, our new Officers & Directors were elected - thank you to these individuals who have volunteered their time and talents to guide the ACFA for the coming year:
 

Officers:

President: Mark Duncan, Columbus Finance     

Executive Vice President: Michael Parker, Regional Finance

Vice President: Rick Davis, Southern Management Corporation

Secretary/Treasurer: Margaret Williamson, Columbus Finance

  

Board of Directors:

 

Mark Duncan, Columbus Finance 

Rick Davis - Southern Management Corporation             

John Manning  - Manning Agency - The Plateau Group

Rob Robinson - Walters Management

Heather Meares - Regional Management

Duane Davis - Local Management, LLC

Chris Mitchell- Acceptance Loan Co. 

Holly Munoz - Brundage Management 

Brent Partain -Credex Systems 

Amy Disney - Brundage Management 

Melissa Swain - Southern Management Corporation

Michael Parker - Regional Finance

Kenny Moore - Harrison Finance Company

Margaret Williamson - Columbus Finance

Scott Jacobs - Fortegra


Don Gowen Lender of the Year Award
Presented  to Michael Parker

 
Michael Parker began his career in the finance industry in 1995 with American General.  He worked for 11 years within the American General regime moving his way up into a leadership role as a District Manager.  In 2006, Michael envisioned the idea to open his own finance company with two partners and the support of a local bank.  Michael successfully ran Superior Finance as CEO until their purchase by Regional Finance in 2012.  Michael remains a key part of a much larger organization in Regional Finance which is looking to expand its footprint nationally over the next 5 years.  Michael is a right hand to his VP of Operations and a mentor to his peers.  Michael is a top notch individual with a wealth of knowledge and successful track history in every position he held in his career.
 
Michael has a keen eye for raw talent.  He continues to hire both proven commodities to manage offices under his direction, but has a knack for giving opportunities to the less experienced.  I have personally watched him teach and mentor individuals into successful managers and supervisors in our industry.
 
Michael is active in the association and is a good representative of our industry when speaking with our Alabama constituents.  He is a board member and heads up the committee for scholarships.  Michael has been married for 16 years to Emily and has two children Ellick 12 and Brock who is 6.  During hunting season Michael enjoys taking time to relax and hunt dove and quail.  Michael is a graduate of Auburn University and avid sports fan of the War Eagle nation.

  

graduates-sm.jpg
Helen Brothers / Beth Harris Memorial Scholarships Awarded
Seven Scholarships Awarded

We all understand the value of higher education and also understand the ever increasing cost of higher education. ACFA was able to award seven Helen Brothers/ Beth Harris Memorial Scholarships this year! Going a long way to help these worthy students in their college careers. 

Scholarships awarded:
 
1.         Anne Compton is the daughter of Paul Compton our General Counsel. Anne plans to attend University of Georgia in Athens, GA and major in Journalism. Anne attended Mountain Brook High School and graduated with 3.8 GPA and an Advanced Diploma.
 
2.        Tyler Wright Clark is the grandson of Lloyd Wright of Credex. Tyler plans to attend UAH in Huntsville and major in Mechanical Engineering.  Tyler attended Hope Christian Academy in Helena, AL and graduated with a 3.78 GPA and was Valedictorian of his class.
 
3.        Samuel Reaps is associated with Jane Reeps of Southern Management Corp.  Samuel plans to attend Clemson University in Clemson SC and major in engineering. Sam attended Mauldin High School in Mauldin, SC and  graduated with a 4.254 GPA
 
4.         Jack Spriggs is associated with Michael Spriggs of Harrison Finance. Jack plans to attend Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA and major in Business Management. Jack attended Dutchtown High School in Geismar, LA and graduated with a 3.65 GPA.  
 
5.         Avery Hatmaker is the daughter of Amy Disney of Brundage Management.  Avery plans to attend Walters State in Morristown, TN to major in Dental Hygiene.  Avery attended Cumberland Gap High School in Cumberland Gap, TN and graduated with a 3.68 GPA.  
 
6.         Mitchell Gowen is the grandson of Don Gowen, Gowen Consulting,  lifetime member of ACFA and former Executive Director. Mitchell plans to attend Calhoun Community College and then Athens State University majoring in Robotics.  Mitchell attended Decatur Heritage Christian Academy in Decatur, AL and graduated with a 2.18 GPA while battling dyslexia. 

7.         Kaylen Mitchell is the daughter of Chris Mitchell of Acceptance Loan Company.  Kaylen plans to attend Auburn University in Auburn, AL and major in Computer Science Engineering. Kaylen attended Mary G. Montgomery High School in Semmes, AL and graduated with a 4.27 GPA.  


This scholarship was established to honor two wonderful women, wives of ACFA members - Helen Brothers and Beth Harris.  Helen Brothers is the deceased wife of our first ACFA President, Glenn Brothers, a outgoing golfer, grandmother, world traveler and a proud employee of the Southern Company, she enjoyed young people and was a mentor for those youths trying to achieve their very best. Beth Harris is the deceased wife of Richard Harris, a Retired ACFA Vice President and member of the Board of Directors. Beth was a dynamic woman who encouraged those young folk around her to work hard for their dreams and reach for the stars!
 
Both would be pleased with these seven outstanding winners of this years scholarships!
 
 

Scenes from the Convention
Check out the convention

    


Special Thank you to our Sponsors!

We would like to thank once again our sponsors for the 16th Annual Convention! We would not be able to produce a convention without their support!

PLATINUM SPONSORS: 

    
 
GOLD SPONSORS: 



BRONZE SPONSORS:
    
 
    
   
 


GENERAL SPONSORS: