Consumer Bankruptcy Journal Fall 2016 | Page 4

President ’ s Report

By Edward C . Boltz , Esq . Partner , The Law Offices of John T . Orcutt Durham , North Carolina

On behalf of NACBA , I would like to thank the Workshop Planning Committee , spearheaded by Matt Mason ( MI ), for their tireless effort on making this event a reality .

To quote the Broadway musical Anything Goes , “ Bon voyage , you mean Bon Voyage ,” NACBA was preparing to set sail on our first ever sea cruise as part of the Members- Only 2016 Fall Workshop . Over 200 NACBA members , friends and family were set to travel to Miami , Florida for a holiday weekend of “ fun in the sun ” and “ vacation with an education .”

Poseidon must have worked for Wells Fargo before ruling the ocean . Apparently having some of the best consumer bankruptcy attorneys in the country on his waters was not to his liking as Hurricane Matthew was unleased .
With safety as the # 1 priority , NACBA made the decision to cancel the workshop and cruise . We just could not justify workshop revenue in exchange for the safety of our membership and their families . Again , please accept my personal apology for any inconvenience .
On behalf of NACBA , I would like to thank the Workshop Planning Committee , spear-headed by Matt Mason ( MI ), for their tireless effort on coordinating this event . The committee lined-up the heavy hitters of consumer bankruptcy to make the education portion of this workshop a deep dive into various areas of the law . From “ Tax Problem Resolution ” to “ Finding a Treasure Trove of Consumer Law Violations in your Bankruptcy Treasure Chest ” to “ Chasing the Elusive White Whale : Harpooning Current Mortgage Issues ” to “ Dry Docking Aggressive Trustees ,” the education programming was top notch !
Special thanks to the Fall Workshop Sponsor BK Billing and all exhibitors as this event would not be possible without your continued support .
While we may have been forced to stay on shore , the committee is discussing a possible virtual format to deliver these exciting presentations . Stay tuned for more information .
Did you know that 2017 will mark NACBA ’ s 25th Anniversary ? Yes , twenty-five years of education , advocacy and litigation . When I first started practicing bankruptcy , there was no organization advocating for the rights of consumer debtors and their attorneys . Other than a few individual advocates who tried their best , we had no voice in Congress , the Courts of Appeal , the Bankruptcy Rules Committee , federal regulatory agencies such as HUD ( and now the CFPB ), the EOUST , and with
4 CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY JOURNAL Fall 2016 National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys