Happy Saturday, and welcome to CEO Speaks for Saturday, May 20, 2023.

The essence of an actionable organization is that it never stands still, is always in motion, and is unafraid to climb higher, and these last two weeks show this to be our truth as we continue to show what it means to be a part of something bigger.

In Scottsdale, Arizona, Global President Jim Van Horn, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, VP of Chapter Relations Rachael Smiley, Ferguson Braswell Fraser Kubasta PC, and I witnessed a joint chapter inaugural event, bringing together the TMA Rocky Mountain and Arizona chapters for two days of pure networking.

Under the desert sun, these chapter leaders brought to life the power of Turnaround Management Association connectivity and in a growing trend, created a new regional opportunity that again raises the bar on member value and what it means to be a part of something bigger through TMA.

It is a testament to leadership excellence to have taken part in an effort spearheaded by TMA Rocky Mountain President Joe Richman, FTI Consulting, President-elect Andrew Rieke, Access Business Finance, and Arizona President-elect Kevin Pearce, Kaldes Financial, LLC, and the visionary chapter members and leaders who helped create this defining event and made it a TMA reality.

Two chapters.  Two days of networking.  The power of connectivity and that one connection that blossoms to make us many connections strong.

From the Arizona sun to the Pacific coast, I went where I had the privilege of participating in the TMA Southern California Night of Excellence, which showed yet another unique and inspiring side of TMA.

The event, held at the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, CA, itself took flight as it showed how we at TMA are constantly reaching new heights, as it did that night by bringing together our professionals in a night of giving back to the community, with this event being a benefit for the City of Hope, an organization dedicated to the future of cancer care.

Of the many moments of TMA excellence I have been a part of, this one stands out not only for how our members rose to the occasion to seize the opportunity to support the community but, at the same time, for how our tried and true members stand as an example of excellence for the next generation of professionals who are the future of the organization.

Nothing can be a more true testament to this than when chapter president Rob Saunders, Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones, an inspiring and motivating leader, introduced me to two of TMA’s newest SoCal members in attendance at the event.

I was inspired and moved to have spent time with Caven Hamilton, Buchalter, a recent graduate of USC Gould School of Law, who was brought to TMA as a student member, seizing on the world of opportunities to be a part of something bigger through TMA.

Caven, an energizing force in his own right and many other accomplishments was recently selected as a Distinguished Bankruptcy Law student for the ninth circuit by the American College of Bankruptcy.  He is the first black person to win the award, and now an official NextGen member of TMA is assured to do great things for our profession and organization.

I was equally inspired by the passion and fortitude of Dori Yona, Earny Inc., a new TMA member at his first event, who, as a startup entrepreneur, shared about his latest venture, a tech-enabled solution to help automate various aspects of liquidation matters.

Dori, a University of Haifa graduate, having served for six years as a naval officer and commander of Navy Patrol Squdron, is a glimpse of the future of TMA.  Innovation, imagination, and unafraid to take risks and stand out.  That is the essence of the future of our TMA.

Kudos to TMA Southern California chapter president Rob Saunders for leading this important chapter and actively cultivating the next generation of members that bring a visionary perspective to the future of TMA.

And while I was surfing the wave of energy in Southern California, Global President Jim Van Horn, and Global Chair, Jane Mitnick, SM Financial Services, was experiencing the power of connectivity at the Southwest Regional Conference in San Antonio, Texas, where under the leadership of Harold Kessler, BlackBriar Advisors LLC, along with Paul Patrick, Huntington National Bank, and John Baumgartner, Grant Thornton LLP, amongst others, nearly 300 of our members from our DFW, Central Texas, and Houston chapter as well as members from all corners of TMA nation, from Atlanta to Boston and California too all gathered to be part of this long-standing and always connected TMA experience, standing for how we engage, connect, support each other and grow through TMA.

Do you get a sense of actionable optionality, connectivity, and energized excitement that is everywhere you look and can experience through TMA? Well, so do I, and sharing these experiences with all of you reinforces the vibrancy of its organization and the passion for the possibility that it represents.

Like it did on my visit this week to TMA Montreal, where on a banner day, I had the opportunity to see the future of TMA through the lens of a chapter that boasts the highest NextGen membership rate in the world, with nearly 25% of its members being NextGenners.

I am grateful for the leadership of chapter president Pierre Marchand and the great exchange and sharing of ideas I had with TMA Montreal board members Carl Adjami, PSB BOISJOLI, Samantha Michalachi, Julien Morrissette, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, Sebastian Plantevin, and Adam Spiro, KRB Avocats, who embrace the world of opportunity and bring engagement to life in very real-world ways.

And what a memorable close to this special day, as I participated at a stand-out chapter event featuring an evening with Stephen Poltz, economist, the 9th Governor of the Bank of Canada, and author of the Next Age of Uncertainty, an ok speaking to the shifting economic and political dynamics of our fast-changing world.

Captivating a room of nearly 150 participants is what it means to bring our members real and relevant programming that stands for the excellence of our organization and supports thought leadership at the highest levels.

This TMA big tent in action shows the world how we are better together and TMA Proud.

Next week, I look forward to participating in the TMA Network of Women Summit, which will be held in NYC,  where nearly 150 of the women of our organization will come together for what is always a supportive, engaging, empowering, and connected experience. I hope to see many of you there.

The TMA journey is experiential and alive.  We lead because we rise and rise higher because we are unafraid to imagine the possibilities and make them our reality.

As always, thanks for taking the time to listen today.  In the one connection that is you, your input is critical, your contributions paramount, and your engagement is the foundation that will create a better TMA for all our members.

Until next time, I’m Scott Stuart.  Be safe, resilient, and TMA Proud.