2
Officers Melissa S . Kibler Chair Charles A . Beckham , Jr . President Karen A . Giannelli Vice-President Craig Goldblatt Vice-President Jeffrey P . Hopkins Vice-President Elizabeth Tashjian Treasurer Annette W . Jarvis Secretary Paul E . Harner DEI Committee Liaison
Board of Directors Lisa G . Beckerman Agustin Berdeja-Prieto Janet E . Bostwick Robert M . Charles , Jr . Roberta A . Colton Laura Davis Jones Robert J . Keach James T . Markus Taft A . McKinstry Cynthia Nelson Timothy F . Nixon George T . Snyder Berry D . Spears Richard Stern David A . Warfield Richard L . Wasserman
Ex Officio Directors Mark D . Bloom Jan M . Hayden Patricia A . Redmond
Board of Regents Patricia A . Redmond Chair , Board of Regents John J . Monaghan ( 1st Cir .) Kelley A . Cornish ( 2nd Cir .) Natalie D . Ramsey ( 3rd Cir .) Michael St . Patrick Baxter ( 4th Cir .) Deborah D . Williamson ( 5th Cir .) Richardo L . Kilpatrick ( 6th Cir .) Brian L . Shaw ( 7th Cir .) Eric W . Lam ( 8th Cir .) Jennifer C . Hagle ( 9th Cir .) Mark A . Craige ( 10th Cir .) Elizabeth A . Green ( 11th Cir .) Randall S . Eisenberg At Large Hon . Clifton R . Jessup , Jr . At Large Robert M . Lawless At Large Hon . Erithe A . Smith DEI Committee Liaison
Scholar-in-Residence Richard B . Levin
Of Counsel R . Patrick Vance
Executive Director Shari A . Bedker
College Columns Dec . 2022 Editors Melanie L . Cyganowski Deborah Langehennig
Layout Michelle Foster
From the Chair
Melissa S . Kibler , Accordion Chair , American College of Bankruptcy
It is hard to believe that we already find ourselves in the midst of the holiday season , looking in the rearview mirror at another year and another successful fall meeting for the College . Our various board and committee meetings in Orlando were capped off by the All-Fellows Luncheon that provided a welcome opportunity for networking and included a spooky presentation entitled “ Tales from the Crypt-O .” Judge Martin Glenn , Mohsin Meghji and Vince Lazar delivered an enthralling ( and timely , particularly given recent events ) panel that overviewed the cryptocurrency landscape and focal points of distress and debated several intriguing questions at the intersection of crypto and bankruptcy , the answers for many of which remain unclear as the insolvency profession treads new ground in these cases . Importantly , our luncheon also featured the presentation of the inaugural Diversity , Equity and Inclusion ( DEI ) Excellence Award to two very special and worthy recipients : Judge Jeff Hopkins and Judge Laurel Isicoff , co-chairs of the College ’ s Select Commission on Diversity , Equity and Inclusion , which delivered its final report in April 2022 . The establishment of this award is a great example of the College using its honorary capacity to recognize achievements in advancing DEI in our organization and our profession .
During the NCBJ conference , the College also co-sponsored the American Bankruptcy Law Journal ’ s academic symposium on arbitration and bankruptcy moderated by Judge Michelle Harner and featuring Professor Robert Lawless and other academics , and presented the NCBJ International Program on the role of international courts and forums in insolvency dispute resolution moderated by Judge Elizabeth Stong with panelists including Judge Christopher Sontchi , Leyza Blanco and Jane Kim . Our newly formed DEI Committee co-sponsored both a mixer / meet-and-greet event for IWIRC members with five to ten years ’ experience and the NCBJ diversity reception , which connected certain College Fellows with rising diverse attorneys , professionals and students – including the three Blackshear Fellows whose attendance at NCBJ was funded by the College .