1. The Collection Connection The Collection Connection Sept./Oct. 2010 Issue
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE MID-ATLANTIC COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION
2010 - 2011 Sept./Oct.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
2010
Harry Strausser III
The Remit Corporation
570-387-6470x202
VICE PRESIDENT
EXPO ‘10 well attended in this issue
David Winters
Delmarva Collection Inc.
MACA News P.1
Niagara Falls welcomed
410-546-3742
over 130 participants for NEDCC On the Hill P.4
SECRETARY EXPO held September 19-21.
Harry Albert, Jr. This regional collection industry ACA News
Modern Recovery Solutions P.6
event, known for drawing high-
610-823-0212
impact speakers, rolled out eight
TREASURER education sessions during the 1.5
Jim Simmermon day program.
Collection Service Center, Inc. Monday opened with Leading
724-594-1109
and Motivating in a Collection
Environment presented by Vilis
DIRECTORS Ozols, and the event concluded
Tuesday with the every-popular
Trace Anderman
NCO Financial Systems, Inc. Best Idea Session moderated
800-220-2274 by Dwayne Heisler (Remit
Corporation). Attendees had
John Fisher access to 28 companies in EXPO
Keystone Credit Collections, Inc.
570-748-2981 Hall offering products and services
of interest the collection industry. EXPO 2010: Harry Strausser, MACA president (left),
John J. Kotula Monday night’s cocktail reception shares a light moment with Bobby Jones (Billing Tree).
Commonwealth Financial Systems concluded with the ACPAC Bottle
570-342-1600x220
Auction raising over $2,000 in
Steve C. Kusic donations.
National Recovery Agency The planning committee
717-540-7636 led by Kathy Kelly, New York
Donna A. Nicholson Stief State Collectors Association
Credit Bureau of Lancaster County Executive Director, succeeded in
717-397-8144x132 bringing dynamic and meaningful
programming and networking
Tom Nusspickel
SIMM Associates, Inc. opportunities to the 130
302-283-2884 attendees.
Next year’s event will be held
Ed Torchia at Caesars Atlantic City, September
Denovus Corp. LTD
724-250-9162 18-20, 2011 and promises to be
another must-attend event.
ACA DIRECTORS EXPO 2010: Marc Trezza (Search Net) and Lacey
Jensen (Client Access) recharge with a cup of coffee.
Donna A. Nicholson Stief
Harry Strausser III
David Winters

2. MACA NEWS
The Collection Connection Sept./Oct. 2010 Issue
President’s Message
We Get Emails
In our last navigate using the wind as your power. Question: I would be interested
issue I urged all Are you are looking for answers in knowing what MACA is doing
of our MACA as a business owner or manager? Are towards reversing the Foti
members to you are concerned about the future of decision.
board the our industry and the legislative culture
Membership that is developing? Would you like to Answer: Foti has been one
that is setting meet other industry operators to learn of the top major concerns
sail with new from their successes and failures? facing our industry along with
direction toward Are improvements to the business TCPA. Foti is a matter of FDCPA
bright horizons environment in your immediate reform, and ACA and MACA,
for our industry. For many decades region something that would along with other ACA untis,
we have been well served by ACA enhance your business? Is additional have joined full force seeking
International on a national level industry-relevant training for your relief and clarity with the issue.
relative to legislative matters, staff members’ part of your growth Earlier this year, MACA
educational opportunities, networking strategy? If you answer YES to any one made a substantial financial
functions and an offering of countless The Collection
of these questions, then MACA is the contribution to ACA’s legislative
products and services that enhance organization that can fulfill your needs. fund created to combat
our operations. Today, as members of Connection Sept./
Many of our members/readers negative legislation.
MACA, you are part of the third largest have never attended a MACA In July, over 250 ACA
unit of ACA. Our new structure will Oct. 2010 Issue
meeting. They have not taken part members covering almost
allow us to develop more programs in our educational programs. They all 50 states hit Capitol Hill.
and initiatives that will directly impact rely on others to do the legwork MACA members, along with
your business in a very positive way. in our respective state and federal other ACA members travelled
But, we need your help…. legislatures to promote and oppose to Washington D.C. and met
Like any vessel that is embarking legislation impacting our industry. with Congressional leaders and
on a long journey, we need the Please join us now, not as a passenger, staffers to educate them on our
proper crew to keep the ship headed but as an active Crew Member. I top issues including Foti.
in the right direction, with wind in guarantee you that your allotment of a In September, U.S.
our sails and a clear picture of our few hours a month to our association’s Senator Franken (D-MN)
intended destination. Associations all initiatives will reward you ten fold over announced his intent to propose
across America, in every industry, are the coming years. FDCPA reform. ACA has had
suffering from membership reductions, Take the step today! Email preliminary discussions with
resulting dues revenue setbacks, me at harry@remitcorp.com and Senator Franken regarding
programming cutbacks, plummeting we can talk about your involvement. this much needed reform that
event attendance and apathy among It’s not too late. We’ll dock in your will help consumers as well as
member volunteers. We don’t have local harbor to pick you up or send businesses.
to follow this trend in MACA. A out a tender to transport you! Until We’d need to have more
friend who is an avid sailor recently next time, here is to smooth sailing, participants in our grassroots
told me about a condition in sailing business success and increased lobbying initiatives, and hope
where the ship is referred to as being membership involvement in MACA! more MACA members realize
in irons. Without the proper winds how important it is to be
of motivation filling the ship’s sails it Sincerely, proactive in the legislative
will sit motionless in the water. You process. It will take all of us
can’t sail directly into the wind but Harry Strausser III, MACA President to have the proper impact in
must calculate the proper direction to The Remit Corporation Washington.
Board of Directors, ACA International
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3. MACA Collection Connection
the official newsletter of the
Mid-Atlantic Collectors Association
Welcome New Members
2010 MACA MEMBER Robert D. Wagman, Esq. PC
Financial Resolution Services, Inc.
AD RATES Rockville, MD
(Rates are listed as amount per Issue) Feasterville, PA
Commitment
Mancing Associates
Size 1x 6x Recover-ez LLC
Moon Twp., PA
Full Page 7.75” x 10” $400 $240 College Park, MD
2/3 Page
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Half Page
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Agency Spotlight
(V) 3.75” x 10”
1/3 Page
$200 $120
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
(H) 5” x 4.875” $150 $100
(V) 2.437” x 10” $150 $100 November 2010
1/4 Page
November 10-12, 2010
(H) 7.75” x 2.3125” $100 $60 ACA’s Fall Forum
(V) 3.75” x 4.875” $100 $60 Sixty six years ago, the Credit Bureau
Wednesday-Friday
of Lancaster County was established and Chicago, IL
2010 MACA NON-MEMBER incorporated, servicing businesses in acainternational.org/calendar
Lancaster County.
AD RATES
(Rates are listed as amount per Issue) Many things have changed since then. December 2010
Commitment We now service most of the Mid-Atlantic
Size 1x 6x region with a suite of products and services December 8, 2010
that help businesses stay productive and FDCPA: Facts, Fiction Reality
Full Page 7.75” x 10” $600 $500
profitable. Harrisburg, PA
2/3 Page acainternational.org/calendar
(V) 5” x 10” $400 $330 The Credit Bureau of Lancaster County,
Half Page Inc. has 5 major divisions: Debt Collections, December 9, 2010
(H) 7.75” x 4.875” $300 $250
a full service collection agency, The Loan Professional Telephone
(V) 3.75” x 10” $300 $250
Solution, services banks and credit unions, Collectors’ Techniques (PTCT)
1/3 Page
Employment Background Screening and Harrisburg, PA
(H) 5” x 4.875” $200 $165 Tenant Screening, services employers acainternational.org/calendar
(V) 2.437” x 10” $200 $165 and property managers and DataServe,
1/4 Page
an Authorized Retailer of CLEAR wireless May 2011
(H) 7.75” x 2.3125” $160 $135 internet connections for businesses and
(V) 3.75” x 4.875” $160 $135 consumers. May 2-3, 2011
Our clients appreciate the longevity MACA Spring Fling 2011
Prices are for color ads and stability of our establishment and are Sheraton Society Hill,
equally impressed with our up-to-date Philadelphia, PA
No bleed ads accepted midatlanticcollectors.org
Send your color hi res PDF or eps technology and easy online automated
processes. Our success is attributed
(proportionately sized) along with the
to the creative diversity of services we
number of times ad is to appear to:
offer as well as consistently growing and
editor@midatlanticcollectors.org changing to keep abreast of the modern
business climate. Our goal has always
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR been to provide fast and efficient top
quality products and services that maximize
Rose M. Jeffries business profitability.
MID-ATLANTIC COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION Donna Nicholson Stief, Immediate Past
116 Forest Drive President of MACA runs the Collection
Camp Hill, PA 17011 Services Division at the Credit Bureau of September 18-20, 2011
Lancaster County, Inc. NEDCC EXPO
Phone: 717-730-9745 Caesars Atlantic City
You can learn more about the Credit
Fax: 717-730-6786 Bureau of Lancaster County, Inc. by visiting Atlantic City, NJ
midatlanticcollectors.org
www.cboflanc.com.

4. FDCPA and PTCT seminars slated
for Harrisburg
MACA members can take advantage December 9 - Harrisburg
of our 2-for-1 enrollment this Professional Telephone Collectors’
December when ACA’s FDCPA Techniques (PTCT)
and PTCT seminars are offered in ACA Instructor Dwayne Heisler Ask Dr. Debt
Harrisburg on December 8 and 9. Collection professionals receive Consumers seeking solutions to debt problems have a
the necessary tools to answer a critical new online resource through Ask Dr. Debt, a financial
The 2-for-1 seminar enrollment question, “How do I collect more on education Web site that ACA International -- a
nonprofit credit association unveiled. “It’s essentially
remains one of the most popular consumer accounts?” Learn about the an online version of ‘Dear Abby’ for consumers with
unit benefits. Watch for the circumstances of consumer debt and credit and debt questions,” John Nemo, public relations
announcement via email in the next what real issues prevent consumers director for ACA International, said in an e-mail.
few weeks, or visit ACA’s Events page from paying through lecture, small Nemo said visitors to the site will be able to search a
at http://www.acainternational.org/ group discussions, activities and case database of frequently asked questions and submit their
own. Ask Doctor Debt also contains interactive tools
calendar.aspx studies.
to educate consumers, such as budget calculators and a
Note: To qualify for the 2-for-1 free personal financial management Web course.
December 8 - Harrisburg pricing, you will need to visit ACA’s
FDCPA: Facts, Fiction Reality Event Calendar web page, download
ACA Instructor Dwayne Heisler the paper enrollment form, and
Learn the facts and submit to ACA.
requirements of the FDCPA, crush
any fallacies you have and learn
what impact the Act has on your
agency’s future. This opportunity
for discussion, instruction, activities,
evaluation and true-to-life application
of the law will stimulate and energize
you. NEDCC EXPO 2010

5. CAPITOL HILL
The Collection Connection Sept./Oct. 2010 Issue
The Business Case for Data Security
by Leslie Bender, Esq.,
CIPP Leslie C. Bender, P.A.
that their personal information is Americans seek more convenient
Over four years after the states exposed to as a palatable trade- ways to stay in touch or get their
began passing data security breach off for the various conveniences work done on the fly, the data that
notification laws, companies consumers can avail themselves of is now readily transportable is left
are devoting more resources to offered by educational institutions, vulnerable.
surviving those mishaps rather than banks, or retailers, to name a few. Until the magnitude of the TJX
preventing them. Lessons learned Only 43% of U.S. businesses data security event established it
in the aftermath of the TJX incident, report they have an incident as the largest data security breach
where court documents indicate response plan and 82% of businesses in history, topping the Veterans
that since 2003 more than 96 million admit they failed to consult with Administration breach which
consumers’ personal financial legal counsel before responding to compromised the data of over
transactions may have been affected an incident. These dismal statistics 26 million veterans and active
or compromised, include the painful emerge against a backdrop of duty personnel, and until all but
10 states passed data security
one that as companies work to
remain competitive by deploying
The Collection
consumerism and a floundering
housing market – placing increased breach notification laws, the public
was largely in the dark regarding
newer and better technologies,
no company is 100% protected
Connection Sept./
and often conflicting pressures on
the American consumer. Javelin situations in which their sensitive
personal or financial data was put at
and therefore immune from the
threat of a breach. Emerging data
Oct. 2010 Issue
Strategy Research issued a report
in December, 2007 noting that three risk. Consumer advocates complain
from the Ponemon Institute and out of four American consumers that in the face of growing numbers
other reputable surveys of United believe identity theft is on the rise of data security breaches, companies
States businesses show that the despite steady declines in the crime are reactive rather than proactive.
time has arrived for developing over the past three years.
better response plans and marrying Disturbing is data showing that
information technology objectives the source of 49% of today’s data
with a business’ operational security breaches relate to lost or 2 Associated Press, 12/30/07, reporting
objectives. stolen laptops or other removable on Linda Foley, founder of Identity Theft
Making a business case for media like USB flash drives. As Resource Center
devoting dollars to response
plan development rests on a Continued to page
delicate calculus of important
factors. Studies show that the
most significant quantifiable cost
of a data security breach is loss of
business. Recent studies document
that despite the publicity associated
with coverage of hundreds of data
security breaches which put the
number of U.S. citizens’ personal
records at risk at nearly 217 million
by the end of 2007, consumers
are not growing immune to these
stories and do not perceive the risk
1 Ponemon Institute, LLC, http://
EXPO 2010: Eric Najork, NY president, talks with Bonnie Finley (EFT).
www.ponemon.org/

6. CAPITOL HILL
The Collection Connection Sept./Oct. 2010 Issue
Continued from page
Credit and collections businesses Do not allow your vendors to be
deal in significant quantities of less secure than your clients would
individuals’ personal and financial want you to be.
data every day. They are compelled 7. Be assured that when
to assure that they have taken weighing the costs associated with
proper stock of their means for a data security breach, the indirect
safeguarding the information costs (e.g., reputation, customer
entrusted to their care. confidence) will outweigh the direct
Refining the lessons from these ones.
breaches, the following are steps 8. Appropriate incident
that can be taken to assure your response processes can control
organized is poised to prevent or and minimize the extent of damage
respond to a data security breach: you may experience and under all
1. Decide that information circumstances must include prompt
security is a true business issue. communication with your customers,
Do not leave dealing with security stakeholders, consumers and the
The Collection
to your IT department. Instead, news media.
educate all your business leads so 9. Awareness is the key. Take
Connection Sept./
they have a working knowledge of stock of what works and repeat it
basic information security concepts. over and again. Make sure each and
Oct. 2010 Issue
2 Conduct organization wide every member of your workforce
risk assessments and maintain a gets data security as it applies to her
business focus when doing so. or him.
3. Know that under no 10. Learn from other’s mistakes and
circumstances will compliance equal do not repeat them. Media coverage
security. Human nature suggests of data security breaches is readily
that errors in judgment will occur available. Avail yourself of it and
and be prepared. keep up with the trends in incident
4. Believe that consumers will response protocols.
implicitly expect security and
privacy, perhaps more so from
a bank or one of its agents. Act
accordingly.
5. Technology tools alone cannot
Rose Jeffries
guarantee your business will be
Executive Director secure. Keep pace with technology
Mid-Atlantic Collectors Assoc. developments but make certain that
116 Forest Drive
Camp Hill, PA 17011 applications and tools you use are
suited for your business and help
Phone (717) 730-9745
Fax (717) 730-6786 enable a secure environment for
rjeffries@midatlanticcollectors.org you.
6. Trust but always proof your
Published by: Tiffany Riser safeguards. When relying upon
triser@nationalrecovery.com outside contractors and other
WWW.MIDATLANTICCOLLECTORS.ORG
vendors do not step in and assure
their security but ask questions and EXPO 2010: Bobby Jones (Billing Tree) talks with Velma
cause them to do so as well. Altland (CBY).