This month’s member highlight is a special one. We want to recognize Jim Hall and his wife Carolyn who have just sold their company, Hall Recovery, after 31 successful years. We could not be happier for them and we wish them well in their retirement.
Jim and Carolyn have always been an integral part of the repossession industry as members of the American Recovery Association, National Finance Adjusters, and Time Finance Adjusters.
Jim spent most of his time away from his business working non-stop for the American Recovery Association as a member, board member, president and past president several times, and immediate past president, and is still helping whenever called upon for any task.
Jim has received numerous awards from ARA, including the Dedicated Service Award in 2013, the Key Award in 2016 & 2009, and the Special Recognition Award in 2016, to name a few. All well deserved.
“In the past 35 plus years I have known Jim, he has been the epitome of what repossession companies should be like. He has remained steadfast in his moral concepts, with an incredible work ethic. Most importantly, he has a deep love for his family and friends; I am happy to be among that group. I wish him and Carolyn truly the best in their retirement.” – Immediate Past President Jerry Wilson.
“I can’t believe Jim Hall retired without me. The best of luck, I love you brother. I still remember your old Chevrolet Lumina in Dallas years ago. Those were the days!” – Kevin McGivern, Equitable Services Inc.
“Jim, it was my honor to work with you all these years. You are a person of integrity and loyalty to the American Recovery Association, and Carolyn putting up with you all these years!” – Mary Jane Hogan, National Locating and Recovery.
“I am happy and sad for Jim and Carolyn. Sad, that he will not be in the boardroom, saying ‘now wait a minute, let’s talk this out’. I am happy that Carolyn and Jim will have more time to spend with their only child, Austin, who is in the music industry and who will most certainly one day make it big. This is not a goodbye, but a new beginning for Jim and Carolyn.” – Joan Hudson, ARB of Lousiana.
Jim & Carolyn, we appreciate you and everything you’ve done for ARA and the repossession industry. Thank you for being outstanding ARA members and wonderful friends. On to the next adventure!
IRVING, Texas, September 15, 2017 – The American Recovery Association (ARA), the world’s largest association of recovery and remarketing professionals, is excited to announce a new partnership with Recovery Database Network (RDN). RDN, a business unit of KAR Auction Services (NYSE: KAR), is a specialized provider of software and data solutions related to the recovery of assets for the automotive finance industry. The agreement will help lenders manage and monitor vendor compliance by integrating ARA’s Compliance Monitoring System and compliance metrics with the various software solutions offered by RDN.
RDN VendorVision is a secure, web-based compliance management platform that connects companies with their vendors.
“This partnership will make RDN VendorVision a central component of the ARA’s broad portfolio of exclusive member benefits,” said Dave Kennedy, president of ARA. “By integrating RDN’s Recovery Solution and VendorVision products with ARA’s Compliance Monitoring System, clients will now have the ability to set standards and verify the necessary compliance training required for their recovery vendor network – creating a ‘culture of compliance’ within the American Recovery Association.”
There are currently nearly 150 lenders already utilizing both the RDN and the ARA systems. These lenders, as well as repossession agents within the industry, can benefit from this partnership.
“RDN is committed to supporting our lending partners with simplified, integrated and efficient products and services,” said Michael Briggs, president, and CEO of CarsArrive and RDN. “By working with ARA, we can help promote, monitor and manage compliance and meet the shared needs of repossession agents and lenders.”
The RDN partnership is just one of the many benefits offered to ARA members. Some of ARA’s other partnerships and member benefits include AW Direct, Experian Auto-check, Goodyear Tires, Direct Connect, Cruise One, Harding Brooks Insurance, National Independent Auto Dealers Association and PRIOS.
For more information about ARA, its partnerships and its member benefits, please visit repo.org.
About American Recovery Association, Inc.
American Recovery Association (ARA) is the world’s largest association of recovery and remarketing professionals. ARA members specialize in locating and repossessing collateral on behalf of lending institutions, including banks, savings institutions, finance companies, credit unions, rental/leasing companies, and auto, truck and equipment dealers. ARA is a nonprofit association whose members serve 27,000 national and international cities. All members are certified independent business operators. For more information, call 972.755.4755 or visit the website at www.repo.org.
About Recovery Database Network: RDN is a specialized provider of software and data solutions related to the recovery of assets for the automotive finance industry. RDN connects auto lending institutions with every company in the repossession and disposition value chain: repossession companies; field visit companies; skip‐tracing companies; forwarding companies; and auto auctions. VendorVision from RDN is a secure, web-based compliance management platform that connects companies with their vendors. With VendorVision, organizations can define their compliance standards, manage documentation, track vendor performance, and assign tasks to achieve alignment. VendorVision offers a simple, user-friendly interface that is integrated with RDN’s industry-leading repossession management software. www.recoverydatabase.net
RDN Media Contact
Tobin Richer
KAR Auction Services, Inc.
(317) 249-4521
Tobin.richer@karauctionservices.com
This month’s member highlight is on Russ and Lauren DeWitt of Capital Adjusters, Inc., in Austin, Texas. Capital Adjusters was founded in 1975 and Russ, who has been with the company since 1976, is the current owner and president. They were the first company in Austin to join ARA and have been outstanding members ever since.
Russ, Lauren and their son Steven were recently awarded as Humanitarians by their church for their selfless contributions toward the betterment of mankind. Along with making sizable monetary donations to various church programs in their community and around the world, Lauren has been able to use her training as a pharmacist to act as medical director for Citizens Commission on Human Rights – a non-profit organization that exposes psychiatric abuses with the goal of cleaning up the field of mental health. Through her efforts, psychiatric abuses in Texas have been exposed and the offenders stripped of their licenses, and in some cases imprisoned. She has also been featured in two documentaries exposing these abuses.
Along with working nights and weekends at his church, Russ traveled to Berlin to help end religious discrimination in Germany, participated in disaster relief in Texas, and testified before the Texas legislature to help ban electroshock and forced drugging of children in Texas. Lauren was also part of the volunteer minister relief efforts in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Their son Steven does volunteer work at the Church.
“We believe we are put on this Earth to help others and a person’s value is not determined by his wallet, but by how much he is able to give to his fellow man.”
Thank you Russ and Lauren for being outstanding ARA members and for doing such amazing work in your community.
American Recovery Association offers a free monthly webinar as part of its new continuing education series to help recovery and remarketing professionals stay plugged into the most current industry rules, regulations and compliance requirements. The August webinar, led by Doug Duncan of TalentValue, will focus on finding good employees in a tough recruiting market and integrating the ARA compliance process with the TalentValue HR Compliance process.
Join us for our August webinar focusing on:
Recruiting & the TalentValue HR Compliance Process
presented by
Doug Duncan of TalentValue
Tuesday, August 29th
1:00 p.m. CT / 2:00 p.m. ET
*Members who attend this webinar session will receive an ARA HR certification upon completion*
American Recovery Association provides a free continuing education webinar series for recovery and remarketing professionals. The one-hour webinar offers education about the latest recovery laws and regulations, compliance policies and industry issues.This presentation is geared towards owners, managers, employees, and field agents. ARA members must register online for the webinar with individual email addresses to receive a certificate of completion. If computer sharing is necessary, please provide a list of employee names and email addresses in an excel spreadsheet to
tricia@americanrecoveryassn.org.
If you have any questions or feedback about our continuing education webinar series, please contact ARA Home Office at 972-755-4755 or homeoffice@americanrecoveryassn.org.
We had a wonderful time at NARS 2017 and hope you did too. Each year, we strive to make the event even bigger and better than before. From the networking and fun during the NARS Golf Tournament, the AT&T Stadium Tour and the DRN sponsored Patriot Party, to the roundtable sessions and dynamic speakers, there was never a dull moment. Attendees left the summit with key takeaways to bring to their businesses, inspired to finish the year out strong. Here’s a look at all the fun we had at NARS 2017.
This month’s member highlight is on Cindy Smith of Heart of Texas Auto Recovery (HOTAR) in Waco, Texas.
In February 2013, Cindy bought HOTAR from her daughter, Karen Garner. She had worked for Karen for five years before buying the business, which has been in operation for thirty-three years.
In May of 2013, Cindy was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery shortly thereafter. With faith in God and the help of her employees, she kept the business going. Cindy has been cancer free for four and a half years now, and business has grown since she took it over.
Her agents and office personnel work hard to make sure every assignment they receive is handled professionally. Her husband Elmer is the yard man and sees to it that they are able to get in and out as quickly as possible.
Every year, HOTAR makes a donation to the George Meyer Scholarship Fund for local graduates at Riesel High School. The whole community comes together for a benefit run/walk with a party afterwards to generate money for the fund. They give five scholarships to the class each year at graduation.
Thank you, Cindy and everyone at HOTAR for being outstanding ARA members and wonderful people.
Join us for our July webinar focusing on:
Compliance & Personal Property
presented by
Sean Sullivan, Attorney at Law at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
Tuesday, July 11th
11:00 a.m. CT / 12:00 p.m. ET
American Recovery Association provides a free continuing education webinar series for recovery and remarketing professionals. The one-hour webinar offers education about the latest recovery laws and regulations, compliance policies and industry issues.
This presentation is geared towards owners, managers, employees, and field agents. ARA members must register online for the webinar with individual email addresses to receive a certificate of completion. If computer sharing is necessary, please provide a list of employee names and email addresses in an excel spreadsheet to tricia@americanrecoveryassn.org.
If you have any questions or feedback about our continuing education webinar series, please contact ARA Home Office at 972-755-4755 or homeoffice@americanrecoveryassn.org.
This month’s member highlight is on Vreeland Wood of VJ Wood Towing, Recovery & Repair, a third generation, family owned and operated towing and recovery company located in Hamburg, PA.
Vreeland and his wife Linda are very involved in their local community and have just donated land for use as a community garden. They also serve on the Board of Directors of “The Our Town Foundation,” a non- profit community economic development organization.
This foundation not only helps the city maintain its properties, but also hosts several local festivals, including the famous “HAMBURGER FESTIVAL,” which garners around 40,000 people!
Mr. Wood is the operations chairman and serves on the council at his church. He is also on a committee helping to purchase and restore their local theater, “Hamburg Strand,” an icon in their city.
For the past 12 years, Vreeland and his wife have enjoyed traveling many states with 2 of their 6 kids with their “RepoZest Drag Racing Team,” and are the proud grandparents of 7 grandchildren under the age of 3 l/2 years.
Thank you Vreeland, for being an outstanding ARA member!
Register for the May Webinar
Don’t Miss Out, Register Now!
Join us for our May webinar focusing on:
Bankruptcy & Updating Your Compliance
presented by Dave Kennedy of First Credit Resources
Wednesday, May 24, 11:00 a.m. CST / 12:00 p.m. EST
OR
Thursday, May 25, 2:00 p.m. CST / 3:00 p.m. EST
ARA members must register online for the webinar with individual email addresses to receive a certificate of completion. If computer sharing is necessary, please provide a list of employee names and email addresses in an excel spreadsheet to tricia@americanrecoveryassn.org.
American Recovery Association provides a free continuing education webinar series for recovery and remarketing professionals. The one-hour webinar offers education about the latest recovery laws and regulations, compliance policies and industry issues.
We are also excited to announce that the state of Louisiana now recognizes all ARA webinars as part of the eight hours of continuing education that is required to renew state licenses.
If you have any questions or feedback about our continuing education webinar series, please contact ARA Home Office at 972-755-4755 or homeoffice@americanrecoveryassn.org.
This month’s member highlight is on David Landy of Universal Auto Recovery in Detroit, Michigan. David has been an ARA member since 1985 and is heavily involved in the Detroit community. He and his wife Carolyn are actively involved in their church, serving as deacon and chaplain. For the last 10 years, David has facilitated a group called Celebrate Recovery, an outreach program for those living in the inner city who are struggling with various problems, ranging from hurts and hang ups to addictions.
Outside of this ministry, David and Carolyn enjoy fishing, hunting and competitive archery. They have six children and five grandchildren, with another grandbaby on the way. Thank you, David, for being an outstanding ARA member for the past 32 years!
