Title: Sr. Vice President Healthcare and C.O.O.
Company: H & R Accounts, Inc./MedPay Management Systems
Company location: Moline, Illinois/Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Your years in Collection Industry: 15
Background in Industry: I joined the industry in the capacity of CIO for an agency in Waterloo, Iowa. After 12 years there, I moved to H & R Accounts 2 years ago.
Company primary collections - other services: Healthcare, nearly exclusively, some commercial and retail.
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: 2 for with H & R, the company has been on CUBS since 1986
Current Role within the CUUG: President & Membership Committee Co-Chair
Personal background - where are you from: I was born and raised in Iowa City, Iowa and still live there. I had the great experience earlier in my career to live a year in Newbridge, Ireland; six months in Goldburn, Australia; 3 months in Manila, The Philippines; and 3 months in Caracas, Venezuela
Married / kids: Married for 34 years (to the same woman) two children, Jennifer and Andrew (28 and 25 respectively). About to become a grandfather for the first time in December 05. Hobbies: Iowa Football, Golf, reading, and politics.
Hobbies: Iowa Football, Golf, reading, and politics.
Something we'd never guess about you: When I was a freshman in college, I swam against Mark Spitz at a Big Ten Swimming Meet. I lost that event and two years later he won seven gold medals in the 72 Olympics. It was a humbling experience, but a great one. I have a Bachelors Degree in Marketing, Accounting and Economics and a Masters Degree in Finance. When in graduate school, I did everything I could to avoid touching a computer (of course that was in 1977), now I could not live without a computer, my cell phone and my PDA.

Title: Systems Administrator
Company: Bonneville Billing & Collections, Inc.
Company location: Ogden, UT
Your years in Collection Industry: 11
Background in Industry: Started as Dialer Agent and Check Collector, 1 year as in-house Skip-Tracer, 1 year as Legal Collector, 1 year as front-line account collector, 5 years dialer department manager, 5 years IT manager.
Company primary collections - other services: Checks, Medical & Utility. Also provide precollect and billing services.
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: 16
Current Role within the CUUG: Vice President & Conference Chair
Personal background - where are you from: Morgan, UT
Married / kids: Married w/ 3 kids 2 years to 9 years
Hobbies: Fishing, Hunting, Golfing, Cooking
Something we'd never guess about you: I make the best cheesecake on the planet (So I have been told by many)

Title: President
Company: MCOT
Company location: Kingsport, TN
Years in Collection Industry: 16
Background: Started as an Outside Collector for a finance company, then 20 years in hospital financial services, started agency in 1988, took over as President in 1996, we have 25 employees, 90% medical collections, 10% other. Also, we do self-pay outsourcing for one of the hospital systems.
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: Original Dexel customer until merged with Columbia Ultimate. Moved to The Collector System in 1997.
Personal Background: Originally form the East Tennessee area. Married (33 years) one daughter and one grandson (3).
Hobbies: Boating, Skiing, Scuba Diving

Title: Director - Business Operations/Systems Integration
Company: Snap-on Credit, LLC
Company location: Libertyville, IL (www.snaponcredit.com) [Niman, Thomas] (the web site still has a photo of our old building - we moved in May 2005)
Your years in Collection Industry: 27 years in the lending & collections business
Background in Industry: Branch Manager, Portfolio Analyst, & Regional Manager with ITT Consumer Financial Corporation 1979 - 1986. Branch Credit Manager, Training Manager, Asset Manager, & Director - Business Operations/Systems Integration with Snap-on Credit 1986 - present
Company primary collections - other services: Snap-on Credit provides financing solutions through Snap-on Tools Franchise Dealers to professional automotive technicians, equipment financing solutions for automotive service businesses, and business financing solutions for Snap-on's Franchised Dealers. We service nearly $1 Billion in active outstanding loans.
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: May 2005 represents our 10 year anniversary with Columbia Ultimate
Current Role within the CUUG: Secretary & Membership Committee Co-Chair
Personal background - Born and raised in Beloit, WI - served in the U.S. Army 1972 - 1979 in Europe, the continental U.S., and Korea. Positions with ITT took me from Tacoma, WA to Minneapolis, MN to Denver, CO. Snap-on has taken me from Seattle, WA to Fort Worth, TX, to Las Vegas, NV, and finally back to Kenosha, WI
Married / kids: 2005 is my 28th wedding anniversary. One adult son living in Orlando, FL and one daughter graduating from college in 2006.
Hobbies: Golf and fishing
Something we'd never guess about you: I'm basically lazy and I hate early morning wake-up calls.

Title: Director-Systems & Support Services
Company: The Affiliated Group, Inc
Company location: Rochester, MN
Your years in Collection Industry: 15
Background in Industry: I have been here so long, my plate is a smorgasbord :-) My primary responsibilities are IT liaison, Compliance, Licensing, Customer Service Manager & HR.
Company primary collections - other services: Checks, Medical, Utility collections; Debt buying & Debt servicing; Precollect and First Party call-center services.
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: 13
Current Role within the CUUG: Past President (2003-2007)
Personal background - where are you from: Sioux Falls, SD
Married / kids: Married w/1 daughter
Hobbies: Four-wheeling, snowmobiling and NASCAR - - Go Jeff Gordon #24!!
Something we'd never guess about you: My husband & I have a race team w/another couple that drag races snowmobiles on the grass in the fall. Our circuit travels through MN, WI and MI. Our team set the world record in Canada this fall on a modified sled going 107mph in 500 feet at 4.07 seconds!

Title: Application Systems Analyst
Company: AllianceOne Receivables Management, Inc.
Company location: Gig Harbor, Washington
Your years in Collection Industry: 14
Background in Industry: Started with Allied Credit doing data entry part time in 1993 when I was a senior in high school and moved up the ranks from there. I transferred to CUBS software administrator in 2002.
Company primary collections - other services: The division I work in focuses primarily on Government collections. The company has a healthcare division and a bankcard division as well.
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: 14
Current Role within the CUUG: Director
Personal background - I grew up in Tacoma, WA and only moved about 20 miles away.
Married / kids: Married for 12 years to my high school sweetheart. We have one son, A.J.
Hobbies: Camping, crafts, my son's sports.
Something we'd never guess about you: My dream career was to be a stay at home mom.

Title: Information Technology Director
Company: Wilber and Associates, P.C.
Company location: Bloomington, Illinois
Your years in Collection Industry: 5
Background in Industry: I have been consulting on Information Technology issues in the collection industry since 2002 and employed full-time in the industry since 2006. My prior background is in Information Technology where I have been employed since 1985. My career in Information Technology has included university faculty member, small business Information Technology consultant, systems analysis, design and implementation and with the Federal Internal Revenue Service in the Computer Audit Specialist development program.
Company primary collections - other services: Insurance industry subrogation; Transportation industry claims; Municipal and Third-party collections.
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: Forever (actually, just since 1991, but in Information Technology years that is nearly forever).
Current Role within the CUUG: Director
Personal background : With an MBA degree (Eastern Illinois University, 1987) and Ph.D. in Business Computer Information Systems (University of North Texas, 1999) I have spent considerable time in academia as a full-time university faculty member (within Management Information Systems departments in the College of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ('87 to '91) and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh ('97 to 2000) and in the School of Information Technology at Illinois State University (2000 to '06).
Married / kids: Happily married to the most beautiful women in the world (Denise) and father of two children - son Daniel and daughter Sarah. We met in Denton, Texas and married in 1995.
Hobbies: Coaching youth league sports (baseball, soccer, basketball, whatever else they decide to be involved in); Watching professional sports (Green Bay Packers and St. Louis Cardinals in particular); biking and boating.
Something we'd never guess about you: My oldest brother (I have four) owns 11 restraurants, with considerable information technology concerns. However, since I'm just his baby brother, he has never asked me a single IT-related question.

Title: IT Administrator
Company: Merchants Credit Adjusters, Inc.
Company location: Omaha, Nebraska
Your years in Collection Industry: 8
Background in Industry: Hired by MCA in 1999 and worked as a collector for a couple of years; I was eventually transitioned to oversee all our IT related duties.
Company primary collections - other services: Our company focuses primarily on medical collections, but we also dabble in retail & some bad checks.
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: 8
Current Role within the CUUG: Director & Website Committee Chair
Personal background - where are you from: Grew up in Malvern, IA a small town in Southwest Iowa home to a population of approx. 1200 folks. Graduated H.S. in 1997, and moved to Omaha to attend college.
Married / kids: Married to wife Holly since June 2003. We are expecting twin girls in July 2007
Hobbies: I enjoy the company of friends, traveling, golf, computers, & home improvement projects
Something we'd never guess about you: I'm the youngest of 5 siblings, everyone in my family has a first name that starts with "J" and a middle name that starts with "E", including my parents.

Title: Director of Operations, Shareholder
Company: The Best Service Company
Company location:Los Angeles CA
Background in Industry: 3rd generation family business. I spent many weekends and summers working at Best Service as a file clerk and various other positions learning the business from the bottom first, joined TBSC full time in the Summer of 1995, has worked in almost every job classification within TBSC, including collector. I currently function as the company’s senior compliance officer making sure that compliance staff and programs are maintained and prioritized at the highest levels of the company.
Your years in Collection Industry: 11 full time and over 20 including part time
Current Role within the CUUG: Director
Company primary collections - other services: Primarily 1st placement contingency work for Banks and Credit Unions
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: 17
Personal background - I have a B.A. in Political Science from UCSB, learning and developing leadership and project management skills, have been heavily involved in school and local politics, fundraising and event planning, including various appointed and elected positions including a term as External Vice-President of the student body.
Married / kids: Married with two kids.
Hobbies: Eco-Travel, photography, Cheering for UCLA
Something we'd never guess about you: Once had Fish and Turtle “room” in 2 bedroom apartment with something like 17 tanks in the house. Now just a few small turtle ponds in the backyard.

Title: Vice President & General Manager
Company: EPN, Inc. dba E Partner Net
Company location: Provo, UT
Your years in Collection Industry: 9
Background in Industry: My father had a successful collection agency for over 30 years, he sold it and retired for a few years. My sisters and I talked him into starting another company with us in 1998 and here we are now. I started as a collector, went from Client Services, to Operations Manager, to Collection Manager, then to the on-site Law Office and Managed that for two years . You could say I have learned all aspects of our company and the industry. I have received many ACA Certifications and enjoy the networking you get with the collection industry. I have a Bachelors Degree in Business Management and am currently studying to take the LSAT and will apply for law school in the Fall of 2007.
Company primary collections - other services: Medical, Checks, Utility, Commercial Collections, and etc. We also provide the following payment services: Check Guarantee, Check Conversion, Check Verification, Accounts Receivable Conversion, Lockbox, Repetitive Billing, Merchant Services, and Gift and Loyalty Cards. We also provide precollect and billing services.
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: My dad’s old company purchased it in 1981. We purchased it again in 1999.
Current Role within the CUUG: Director & PR Committee Chair
Personal background - where are you from: I am from Mapleton, UT. I lived on the same street my entire life until I got married. Then I only moved 3 miles from there. I have a Bachelors Degree in Business Management.
Married / kids: I am married to Brett Cherrington. I have two daughters, Taylor and McKenna, 6 and 4. Our third child is on it’s way, my due date is November of 2007.
Hobbies: Camping, Jeeping, Boating, Fishing, Hunting, Family, and Horses.
Something we'd never guess about you: I have been involved with the sport of Rodeo since I was a young girl and have traveled all across the country competing in barrel racing and roping. I qualified for the High School and College National Finals way back then and am very competitive my nature. I still enjoy the sport very much and have started to travel again with my young children. I hope they will enjoy the sport as much as I have.

Title: IT Department/ CUBS Software Specialist
Company: Harris & Harris, LTD.
Company location: Chicago, IL
Your years in Collection Industry: 13
Background in Industry: 12 years at CU (5 yrs support tech, 3 years Support Supervisor, & 4 years Training Supervisor) , 1 year with Harris & Harris.
Company primary collections - other services: 3rd party, Medical, & Utility
Years on Columbia Ultimate software: 13
Current Role within the CUUG: Director & Development committee chair
Personal background - where are you from: Raised in NH, military background, moved to NW to raise our children.
Married / kids: Married (Stirling), daughter (Marie 21), son (Peter 18)
Hobbies: Playing Sports and doing crafts
Something we'd never guess about you: Was in the US Air Force for 4 years and loved every minute of it.