Columbia Ultimate?s Art of Success 2009 Conference to Feature Keynote by Dennis Deaton

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Columbia Ultimate, an expert in technology and integrated solutions for the collection industry, will hold its annual Art of Success conference October 5-9, in Vancouver, Wash. featuring a keynote address by Dennis Deaton, an internationally known business psychology writer and author of The Ownership Spirit. Registration for the conference is currently open, and can be accessed by visiting the Art of Success website: www.columbiaultimate.com.

Deaton will deliver a speech entitled: “The Ownership Spirit: The One Grand Key that Changes Everything Else”. He is the co-founder and CEO of Quma Learning Systems, Inc. and chief designer of that company’s motivational seminars.  Deaton is also the author of four books and has done extensive classroom training for companies like Boeing, Dupont, Charles Schwab, Medtronic, State Farm and many others. His most recent book, The Ownership Spirit, has impacted the lives of people by imparting the tools and skills needed to replace ineffective mental processes that thwart growth and progress.

Other speakers at the conference include: Albert Rookard, President and CEO of ClientAccessWeb.com.; Valerie Hayes, Corporate Counsel and Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs for ACA international; and John Bedard, partner with Atlanta law firm Bedard Law Group, P.C

Rookard, an avid mountain climber, will share business insights gained while scaling some of the world’s highest peaks. Hayes will discuss a range of compliance issues facing collection agencies, including: leaving messages; collecting time-barred debt; and providing documentation for debt. Bedard will speak on the compliance implications of today’s technologies, such as cell phone, email, web site and voicemail communications.

“The annual Art of Success conference has emerged as a valuable networking and educational opportunity for the collection industry, and in this year’s challenging economy, it’s taking on even more significance,” said R. Fred Houston, president and CEO, Columbia Ultimate. “Our clients will be discussing and learning practical strategies, tools and techniques that can be put to work today and drive the success of their business in the future,” Houston explained.

Columbia Ultimate clients gain knowledge on techniques to drive organizational excellence and to retain a lasting competitive advantage through delivering higher levels of client satisfaction.  Each year, the conference features a series of sessions and workshops on leadership and technology innovation, as well as discussions on the latest industry trends and issues.

About Columbia Ultimate
Columbia Ultimate is an expert in delivering integrated technology solutions and services for enhancing business intelligence, maximizing performance and profitability for the collection industry.  Since 1979, the company has led ongoing innovation in collection technology delivering results-oriented offerings that empower organizations to effectively manage and address new and growing challenges in an ever-increasing competitive collection environment. Today, collection agencies, banks, healthcare and retail organizations, along with state, county and local governments across the country rely on Columbia Ultimate for their collection needs. Columbia Ultimate is privately held with headquarters in Vancouver, Wash. For more information, visit www.columbiaultimate.com