(TMA International Headquarters)
CHICAGO
— Two
Turnaround Management Association chapters will receive awards for exceptional
achievement at the TMA 2008 Spring Conference
,
March 27-29
,
at the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes, Orlando, Fla. The
Florida Chapter, which received an Honorable Mention last year, has moved into
the top place as 2007 Chapter of the Year, and Southern California TMA receives
the Most Improved Chapter of the Year award.
With more than
8,000 members in 43 chapters worldwide, TMA celebrates its 20
th
Anniversary in 2008 as the only international nonprofit association dedicated to
corporate renewal and turnaround management. Chapter award criteria used to
select these exemplary chapters encompass five areas: membership, programming,
community service, communications and administration.
Chapter of the Year – Florida
President Noel Boeke, Holland & Knight,
Tampa
“In the past seven
years, the Florida TMA Chapter has maintained a rapid growth trend from 50
members in 2000 to more than 300 members by the end of 2007,” said the 2007
President Noel Boeke, a bankruptcy law partner in Holland & Knight’s Tampa
office. “One of our membership initiatives was to target workout officers and
judges, and we were successful in attracting several to become active
members.”
Florida TMA
also held five Member Appreciation Receptions in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville,
Miami, and Jupiter, to promote membership renewals with renewed members coming
free of charge.
The chapter
distinguished itself by:
- Awarding two $2,500 Fellowships to graduate students
of the University of Florida’s Fisher School of Accounting, and sponsoring 10
student memberships
- Producing and mailing the 2007 Calendar of Events
brochure late in 2006, listing all 27 events to be held in five locations
during the next year
- Increasing media coverage by launching a formal public
relations campaign
- Launching a new Annual Sponsorship program, raising
$3,500
- Raising
more than $10,000 at the Annual Golf Tournament
Most Improved Chapter of the
Year– Southern California
President Mette H. Kurth, Sheppard, Mullin,
Richter & Hampton LLP, Los Angeles
“Our efforts
in 2007 resulted in many measurable improvements,” said President Mette Kurth,
“but what is difficult to convey is the sense of excitement and enthusiasm the
board has brought to the turnaround community in Southern California. At a time
when many organizations are struggling with a declining and aging membership
base, we are adding new, young practitioners to our ranks, and we are being
approached by numerous individuals interested
in
getting involved and organizations interested in
participating in joint activities with the TMA.”
Some of the
outstanding accomplishments during 2007 were:
- Doubled
the size of the board to provide leadership positions for new members,
including two membership co-chairs and a public relations chairperson
.
- Formed a Diversity Committee
- Initiated educational programming in areas outside of
Los Angeles and secured free use of a sponsor’s videoconference facility to
offer the 13-Week Cash Flow Program to connect members in six locations
- Planned
joint events with other organizations and used
“ripped from the headlines” topics to attract
attendees
- Attracted
more than 300 professionals to its 5
th
annual Night of Excellence
charity event, which, since its inception, has raised $75,000 in donations to
the City of Hope
.
- Achieved
108 percent of its membership goal, ending the year with 301 members, 50 more
than the previous year
.
Turnaround Management Association (www.turnaround.org) is
the only international non-profit association dedicated to corporate renewal and
turnaround management. With international headquarters in Chicago, TMA’s
professional community is comprised of turnaround practitioners, attorneys,
accountants, investors, lenders, venture capitalists, appraisers, liquidators,
executive recruiters and consultants. Members adhere to a Code of Ethics
specifying high standards of professionalism, integrity and competence. Its
Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP) program recognizes professional
excellence and provides an objective measure of expertise related to workouts,
restructurings and corporate renewal.
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