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Shari ’ s Next Adventure
Shari A . Bedker , CPA Executive Director , American College of Bankruptcy
Dear Fellows ,
At the risk of really dating myself , I started working with the College in 1996 and the first induction ceremony I attended and helped with was Class 8 in 1997 when Ray Shapiro was Chair and Neal Batson was President . I was immediately impressed with the dedication and passion all the fellows I met had for their profession .
Over the next 28 years , I have met and worked with the “ luminaries ” in the profession as well as very smart , dedicated attorneys , financial advisors , judges and academics who supported and encouraged all the College and its Foundation have done by rolling up their sleeves and working tirelessly for the bankruptcy profession as a whole - educating and supporting younger members , working for the industry to be inclusive and in the words of Prof . Larry King in 2001 , “ giving back ” to the community and the profession as it has given to each of you .
I was incredibly honored and VERY surprised at the presentation of the touching video and the surprise attendance of my family at the luncheon in March . There was definitely some ugly crying on my part , especially when seeing many of the past Chairs of the College on the screen . Every leader in the College brings their own style and focus but the overall goal is always moving and growing as an organization which made my job so much fun .
Many people have asked what I will be doing in retirement after July 31 , 2024 . For 3 years , I will continue to review financial information and be an advisor as needed to my successor , Alexandra “ CC ” Schnapp , who will be taking over as College and
Foundation Executive Director on July 1 , 2024 . I currently have 3 fantastic , energetic granddaughters and by the time I retire , will be adding a grandson to the mix , so I will have 4 grandchildren ages 4-newborn to hang out with ! I have played clarinet with a community band and recently started playing in a community orchestra as well , so I hope to have time to actually practice and build on my musical skills . Likewise with my hobbies of photography and golf , I plan on getting out from behind my computer to get outside a lot more . My husband Larry and I will be traveling without the pressure of having to keep 100-500 people happy and organized . I have also been asked by the College leadership to do an oral history so I have asked my long-time friend , Hon . Janet Bostwick , to do that with me , and we will be working on that this fall , so it will be fun to revisit and share some of the College ’ s history with all of you through that interview .
I thank the College and Foundation for the privilege of being a part of the journey of the College ’ s evolution and very much look forward to what our newest Fellows who were inducted in March 2024 in Class 35 will bring over the next 30 years . — Shari