This is my first chance, as the new Chairman of the Board, to write an article for the CMA Newsletter. I’d like to first thank Kathleen Tomlin, CCE for her leadership this past year and the valuable contribution she has made to our association. She will be a tough act to follow.
It is said we can learn from history. For example, modern printing was born when Johannes Gutenberg began to print from separate pieces of type in the early 1500’s. Thus began the age of widespread information distribution. At its inception the United States established a postal service, delivering mail daily. Other than a brief stint beginning in 1860, when the first Pony Express rider left on his ride, there were no major changes in how information was transmitted. Then in 1861 telegraph communication was established. Another fourteen years passed and Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone replacing the telegraph. CMA was formed in 1897, and sometime thereafter began sending its monthly newsletter to members.
Until recently that was it. Business information was transmitted pretty much the same way, in hard copy or over the telephone. Fast forward 104 years to 2001 when ANCERS hit the Web. Now just two years later, CMA is taking another great leap forward. This is the first monthly issue of an informative newsletter delivered over the Internet.
The real story here is the increasing pace of change and what rapid change means to credit professionals. More than ever, we need to both keep up and try to stay ahead of regulatory, economic and business practice changes taking place all around us. The value we bring to our company is changing as well. The new CMA newsletter format and mode of delivery are intended to provide timely and useful information and to help credit professionals demonstrate their value to the entire organization.
Please take the time to read the many articles of interest in this edition and those to come. The new format makes it easy to share information with your colleagues and senior managers. It is simple and instantaneous. This is a great way to establish yourself as a “go to” person in your company.
The new newsletter is part of a wider strategy bringing quality information to users.
Over the past several years, many volunteers and CMA staff members have dedicated countless hours to improving CMA services and web-based information. ANCSERS has put CMA on the cutting edge within the NACM family. The Encyclopedia of Credit, the Credit Community Bulletin Board, online Webinars and other timely information are available with a simple click of a mouse.
Additionally, you will also be seeing information on the upcoming Western Region conference held in Anaheim this year from September 24 – 26, 2003. This provides a cost-effective way to educate the credit organization at any level in newest developments and techniques. The conference is filled with valuable sessions that will provide participants with practical information they can use the first day back in the office.
I am looking forward to my coming year serving as Board Chairman. This is truly an exciting time for CMA and all credit professionals.
