By Dominic Clegg, Chairman of ARA’s Mentorship Committee
The recovery industry has long relied on collaboration, communication, and trust to function effectively. Yet persistent communication gaps between agents, forwarders, and lienholders have slowed progress and created inefficiencies. Now, with the help of the American Recovery Association (ARA), a new initiative is reshaping how these critical industry players connect and collaborate.
A Vision Takes Shape
Three months ago, under the guidance of the ARA, Agent Advisory Boards were launched in partnership with several leading forwarders—including ARS, Location Services, Resolvion, Primeritus, Millennium, and MVTrac/SCM. New boards are currently in development for PAR, Profound, and potentially UAR.
The response from agents nationwide has been overwhelmingly positive. Industry professionals have volunteered their time and expertise to support this movement, inspired by a shared commitment to progress. As a military veteran and longtime recovery professional, I’ve never seen such unity and dedication outside of my years in service.
These boards, championed by the ARA, serve as a direct communication channel between agents and forwarder leadership. Their purpose isn’t to handle invoice disputes or collections—but to elevate the industry by sharing ideas, providing feedback, and strengthening operational processes. Each board is structured regionally, representing a diverse mix of agent voices across the country.
Milestones and Momentum
In just a few short months, the results have been nothing short of transformative. Advisory boards have been successfully launched with ARS, Resolvion, Primeritus, Millennium, MVTrac/SCM, and Location Services. Each inaugural meeting reflected professionalism and preparation.
Pre-meeting surveys helped identify critical discussion topics, ensuring meaningful engagement from forwarder leadership. Notably, MVTrac/SCM’s leadership demonstrated their willingness to address tough questions, while ARS’s kickoff meeting set the tone with professionalism and transparency.
Primeritus and Millennium boards have also made significant headway, actively addressing industry concerns and fostering open communication. Daily engagement from forwarders and their attentiveness to feedback underscore the movement’s momentum. Most recently, on August 8, I joined Jose Delgado and Jeremy Turner of Location Services for a board meeting that further solidified their deep commitment to our industry.
Expanding the Vision: Lienholders Step In
The success of these forwarder-agent boards has laid the groundwork for the next phase—collaboration with lienholders. To eliminate the miscommunications often created by intermediaries, the ARA is proposing dedicated Agent Advisory Boards specifically for lienholders.
Encouragingly, before formal invitations could even be sent, two major lienholders reached out independently, eager to participate. This is a strong signal that the desire for transparency and real-time insight is industry wide.
A Call to Action
The Agent Advisory Boards are more than meetings—they represent a movement to reshape communication in the recovery industry. For those already involved, thank you. Your commitment, professionalism, and insights are helping build a better future.
For those not yet on a board, there will be opportunities as membership rotates annually. If you’re interested in participating or see a region or role that needs representation, reach out. Ideal candidates are industry-minded, collaborative, and committed to professionalism over personal agendas.
Together, with the support of the ARA, we can continue to dismantle barriers, strengthen trust, and elevate our industry to new heights.
As I often say, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Let’s continue pushing forward.
Agent Advisory Board Representatives
Primeritus
- Northeast: Seth Rose, Express Results
- Illinois: David Johns, Donerite Recovery
- West Coast: Dom or Leah Clegg, Benchmark Asset Resolution, Inc.
- Southwest: Starr Sawalqah, Alpha Recovery
- Texas: Corey Cox, Asset Resolutions
- East Coast: John Newberry, Eagle Eye Recovery
- Midwest: Amy Bednar, Relentless Recovery
ARS
- Northeast/Midwest: Darcy Case, Indiana Recovery Services
- Illinois: Barry Gibrick, Nationwide Recovery, Inc.
- Florida: Juan Hererra, Specialized Towing
- East Coast: Lauren Kimbrell, Advanced Collateral Recovery
- Texas: Corey Cox, Asset Resolutions
- West Coast: Dom or Leah Clegg, Benchmark Asset Resolution, Inc.
- Southwest: Starr Sawalqah, Alpha Recovery
Millennium
- Florida: Juan Hererra, Specialized Towing
- Midwest: Amy Bednar, Relentless Recovery
- Illinois: Luke MacArthur, Northwest Recovery
- Texas: Jessica Henline, Advanced Recovery of Texas
- West Coast: Mike Farhood, Benchmark Asset Resolution, Inc.
- California: James McNeil, Daybreak Metro
- Southwest: Ryan Grassmick, Top Dawg Asset Recovery, LLC
- Northeast: Seth Rose, Express Results
- East Coast: Gerri Gentry, Premier Recovery
MVTrac/SCM
- Florida: Juan Hererra, Specialized Towing
- Southeast: Emily Hemmings, Quick Recovery Services, Inc.
- East Coast: Gerri Gentry, Premier Recovery
- Illinois: David Johns, Donerite Recovery
- Northeast/Midwest: Todd Case, Indiana Recovery Services
- Texas: Al Gonzalez, Pegasus Recovery Solutions
- West Coast: Dom or Leah Clegg, Benchmark Asset Resolution, Inc.
Resolvion
- West Coast: Dom or Leah Clegg, Benchmark Asset Resolution, Inc.
- Texas: Al Gonzalez, Pegasus Recovery Solutions
- Northeast/Midwest: Jeremy Cross, International Recovery Systems
- East Coast: John Newberry, Eagle Eye Recovery
- Illinois: Luke MacArthur, Northwest Recovery
- Southeast: Marcus Potter, NAR Services, Inc.
Location Services
- Northeast: Amy Bednar, Relentless Recovery
- Illinois: Barry Gibrick, Nationwide Recovery
- California: Tyler Powell, Paramount Recovery
- Midwest: Todd Case, Indiana Recovery Services
- East Coast: Lauren Kimbrell, Advanced Collateral Recovery
About the Author
Dominic Clegg is the Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of Benchmark Asset Resolutions and a key leader in the American Recovery Association (ARA). He also serves as Chairman of the ARA’s Mentorship Committee, where he oversees initiatives to support and train the next generation of recovery professionals. With over a decade of field experience and a military background, Dominic brings a disciplined, forward-thinking approach to fostering unity and communication across the industry.
About the American Recovery Association (ARA):
The American Recovery Association is the world’s largest association dedicated to the advancement and professional development of the recovery and remarketing industry. ARA provides compliance support, education, and advocacy for hundreds of recovery professionals nationwide. ARA is the founder and host of the annual three-day North American Repossessors Summit (NARS) – the largest repossession conference in the industry. For more information, go to repo.org or call (972) 755-4755.
