To our members:
As we head into the end of the year, it’s a great time to recall how service to each other and our industry elevates our collective and individual success, the third pillar of service for the year.
The third quarter of 2024 was another successful one for our Chapter. We celebrated Summer together with the local chapters of the Secured Finance Network and the Association of Corporate Growth on a fantastic July day making new connections and nurturing existing relationships; our committees remained active planning and executing great events for our members, and we are entering the end of the year strongly.
This is in no small part because of how well we work together to be in service to each other. As our President-Elect David Levy of Keen-Summit Capital Partners likes to say, in the turnaround and restructuring industry referrals and work can come from anyone at any time. This is a great reminder that being of service to others, in big and small ways, can always pay dividends in the future.
In my experience, one of the most effective ways to be visible and capable of serving others is to get involved with TMA—serve on a committee, speak on a panel, nominate yourself for a leadership role, and show up to events—when we commit to service and follow through on those commitments, our fellow members take note.
There are also fantastic opportunities to be of service in more direct ways through the Chapter. Volunteering to take on a pro bono engagement, for example, can be a fantastic way for our members to give back to troubled businesses in need of turnaround services, and an opportunity for junior professionals to gain invaluable experience.
Perhaps the best (and everyone’s favorite!) way to be of service is to refer business to your TMA friends and colleagues. Whenever I’m asked to provide a referral for a client, I look for TMA members first; not only because TMA is my professional home, but because TMA has provided me the opportunity to build a network of skilled professionals across the industry whom I trust and know will add value to an engagement. And when we can work together, everyone benefits.
We’re all invested in our collective success through TMA, and serving others is one of the best ways to build for our future successes. Helping fellow members not only raises our personal profiles and brands, it burnishes the TMA brand overall, ensuring our Chapter’s continued success in the future.
I hope each of you takes this message to heart and finds a way to be of service to the Chapter or fellow members. There are plenty of fantastic opportunities to serve the Chapter before the year closes. We’re in the process of selecting leaders for the coming year—nominate yourself! Answer the call to sponsor the Chapter in 2025, or simply plan to show up to our events in the coming months, including ESF, our annual Holiday Party, and numerous other events that provide opportunities for us to connect with each other and strengthen our ties.
Jack O’Connor
President, TMA Chicago/Midwest Chapter
Partner, Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC
