California Collectors Vote to Retain Dual Membership in ACA

The Board of Directors of the California Association of Collectors voted Wednesday to comply with ACA International’s dual membership guidelines requiring members of a State Unit to also be members of ACA International.

The vote, taken at CAC’s Legal and Legislative Conference in Sacramento, seemingly put an end to an acrimonious year between the California state unit and its parent group, ACA International. CAC board members in April 2010 voted to amend their bylaws to allow members to choose whether they wanted to continue their ACA membership while being represented by the CAC.

But that move ran afoul of ACA bylaws that stated state chapter members must also maintain membership in the national association. CAC’s official status as ACA’s California unit was threatened by the vote.

Founded in 1917, the CAC is ACA’s largest and oldest State Unit.

“We are very pleased with the outcome and appreciate our strong relationship with ACA International,” said CAC Executive Director Vickie Kirk. “CAC members examined this decision very closely and ultimately determined that the mutual importance and value of contingent membership outweighed seeking a change.”

“Together, CAC and ACA were able to resolve outstanding issues and usher a new era of collaboration to focus our collective attention on the important concerns facing the debt collection industry,” said ACA International Interim CEO Ted Smith.

Last April, association leaders and those close to the matter told insideARM that the initial move had as much to do with economic matters as members discontent with recent ACA decisions.