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Officers Mark D . Bloom Chair Melissa S . Kibler President James L . Baillie Vice-President Hon . Joan N . Feeney Vice-President Karen A . Giannelli Vice-President Martha E . M . Kpoacz Treasurer Annette W . Jarvis Secretary
Board of Directors Agustin Berdeja-Prieto Robert M . Charles , Jr . Hon . Roberta A . Colton Jan M . Hayden Robert J . Keach James R . Kelley James T . Markus Taft A . McKinstry Timothy F . Nixon Hon . Neil P . Olack Norman L . Pernick George T . Snyder Richard Stern Robert J . van Galen David A . Warfield Richard L . Wasserman
Ex Officio Directors Marc A . Levinson Paul E . Harner , Chair , ACB Foundation
Board of Regents Charles A . Beckham , Jr . Chair , Board of Regents Michael J . Goldberg ( 1st Cir .) James L . Bromley ( 2nd Cir .) Natalie D . Ramsey ( 3rd Cir .) Douglas M . Foley ( 4th Cir .) Elizabeth J . Futrell ( 5th Cir .) Michael P . Coury ( 6th Cir .) James H . M . Sprayregen ( 7th Cir .) Michael R . Stewart ( 8th Cir .) Jennifer C . Hagle ( 9th Cir .) Kenneth L . Cannon , II ( 10th Cir .) Patricia A . Redmond ( 11th Cir .) Prof . Ingrid Michelsen Hillinger At Large Hon . Jeffery P . Hopkins At Large Cynthia Nelson At Large
Scholar-in-Residence Prof . Susan Block-Lieb
Counsel R . Patrick Vance
Executive Director Shari A . Bedker _________________ College Columns Dec . 2021 Issue Editors Steven N . Berger Deborah Langehennig Layout Michelle Foster
From the Chair From Indianapolis to Denver , Sixteen Columns , and Gratitude for the Opportunity to Serve
Mark D . Bloom , Baker & McKenzie Chair , American College of Bankruptcy
Well , we did it . Our extended Fall Meeting in Indianapolis attracted 217 Fellows in person -- vaccinated , mostly masked , and all seemingly thrilled to be in each other ’ s company once again .
Every event and program I attended made me realize even more how much I had missed the enthusiasm and camaraderie that make the College so special to so many of us . First on tap was a hybrid , live-and-Zoom meeting of the Foundation Board that came off without a hitch , and demonstrated once again the fierce commitment of so many of our Fellows to the many pro bono legal services programs we support all over the country . Then it was on to the Leadership Dinner -- a lively and festive evening attended by more than 50 College leaders , at which we recognized the many contributions of one of our illustrious past Chairs , Michael Cook .
We broke tradition a bit at this Fall Meeting , especially for new incoming Fellows in Classes XXXI and XXXII . In place of the usual crack-of-dawn , pre-breakfast meeting , the New Fellows Orientation was conducted at a bit more leisurely pace over lunch . And at that evening ’ s Induction Ceremony we dispensed with black tie and formal wear in favor of business attire , welcomed 52 new Fellows with fist bumps and applause , and offered a standing ovation to celebrate the presentation of our Distinguished Service Award to Judge Barbara J . Houser .
As usual the educational programs were first-rate -- focusing on health care bankruptcies , independent directors , and developments in the always-changing consumer bankruptcy area . The Fellows ’ Luncheon was a particular highlight , both moving and engaging , as the Co-Chairs of our Commission on Diversity , Equity and Inclusion moderated a live video presentation and Q & A session with Pulitzer Prizewinning author Isabel Wilkerson focusing on her must-read new book , Caste : The Origins of our Discontents . The inspirational
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