I assist clients in the ARM industry in the development and implementation of their Compliance Management System. That includes conducting compliance audits to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in compliance processes, writing policies, developing training and other activities to help staff members understand how the policies impact their day-to-day duties. I provide professional development for people moving into a compliance officer role, including designing monitoring programs and helping them determine the functions and processes that should be audited, then working with them to design the audit. We also work on proper communication of audit results to company executives that will result in positive changes that promote a culture of compliance in their collection agency.

My career in the ARM industry began in 1980 when I was hired as an assistant in the Public Affairs Department at ACA International, which was known at the time as the American Collectors Association, Inc. I was later promoted to Director of Education. I left ACA in 1993 to join a small collection agency in Bloomington, IL, whose leaders had an aggressive plan for growth. During my 21 years there I led the Training and Development initiatives and in the early 2000s I was appointed Director of Compliance. I’ve worked in a compliance role at 2 other collection agencies since then, and joined ARM CBS as Senior Compliance Advisor in 2022.

The acquisitions of agencies by private equity. It concerns me.

I would like to see more proactive attempts to find solutions for consumers to work with debt collectors. There is too much “us vs. them.” It’s a bigger issue than that, and sadly we often work with people who are in dire straits, and we are the last people they want to hear from.

The variety of the work we do keeps the job interesting. What I hate more than just about anything else is repetitive work. Our clients are a diverse group of people with unique needs, and finding solutions for them requires creativity. I really love that.

“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else. I’ve felt that way many times. My hope for all of us is that ‘the miles we go before we sleep’ will be filled with all the feelings that come from deep caring—delight, sadness, joy, wisdom—and that in all the endings of our life, we will be able to see the new beginnings.” – Fred Rogers

My mother told me, “Never take no for an answer.” She was talking about succeeding in business. What it meant to me, and what she showed me in her travels through the world of business however, was that there is always another way to get what you want, and often it is better than the thing you originally thought you wanted.

I am very proud of my children. All the things I have done in my career are miniscule compared to having been a good mother.

I wanted to be a nun, then I wanted to be a lawyer, then I wanted to be President of the United States. I left college planning to be an English teacher.

I work at home. The best thing about that is the fact that my husband also works at home. I love the flexibility working at home gives me.

My favorite book is Little Women. I have seen all the movies based on it and love them all, but my very favorite movie is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which is kind of crazy because my favorite movie genre is musicals.

My picture is on a movie poster (Mr. Holland’s Opus).

We do not currently have a pet. I love dogs but at this point in my life, I value spontaneity and shedding responsibility, so I would not be a good pet owner right now.