Oregon Collectors Association Awards Annual Scholarships

http://www.insidearm.com/news/00018118-oregon-collectors-association-awards-annu/

At the Oregon Collectors Association‘s spring meeting, held April 15-17, 2010, in Hood River, Ore., 2009/10 ACA International Vice President Mark Neeb presented awards to the winners of the 23rd Annual Oregon Collectors Association Hasson-Newman Memorial Scholarship Fund. With $7,000 awarded this year, a total of $150,000 has been awarded to Oregon graduating high school seniors since the inception of the scholarship program in 1987.

This year’s winners are: Katie Merrill from Hillsboro, Ore. (first place, $3,000); Matthew Creech from LaGrande, Ore. (second place, $2,500); and Samantha Plummer from Florence, Ore. (third place, $1,500).

This year, the Oregon Collectors Association received more than 60 entries for the awards. The competition was based on an essay, “The Proper Use of Credit in the 21st Century,” and entrants are required to attend any Oregon accredited college or university full time. A scholarship board read the essays and chose the three winners. The essays were read at the scholarship luncheon and judged by a three-member panel, which chose the order of the winners. This year’s judges were Neeb; Mike McCord, program director from the Division of Securities Department of Consumer & Business Services; and State Rep. John Huffman.

The scholarship fund was named in honor of ORCA Past President Bob Hasson, who passed away in 1986, and now also honors Past President Roy Newman, who passed away in 2008. It is mainly financed through the sale of legal forms to the collection community.

This program has been an excellent source of positive public relations for the Oregon Collectors Association. Having judges such as state representatives, state senators, the state secretary, the attorney general, an Oregon Supreme Court justice and regulatory directors has helped give the organization and its legislative efforts credibility. To learn more about the fund, please contact Doug Jones at (503) 201-0858 or dcj@pandhbilling.com.