Get to Know GLCCA Board Member Skip Herbert
Considering all the professional roles that Edwin “Skip” Herbert has held over his impressive career, GLCCA members are incredibly fortunate to benefit from the knowledge and experience he brings to his newest role as a GLCCA board member.
While his early career focused on private law practices, Skip shifted into the collection industry when he joined the team at Asset Acceptance in 2006 in the roles of Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary. He strayed a bit from collections in 2013, when he moved into the oil and gas distribution industry, serving as General Counsel for Simons Holding Group, but was drawn back to the collection industry in 2019 as the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for RevCycle.
Skip has been involved with ACA at the national level for many years, with four of those as part of the legislative affairs committee. And while his exact role as a GLCCA board member has not been determined yet, he believes his background probably best lends itself to compliance and legislative/regulatory affairs. “I have been in financial services for 30 plus years, including stints in private legal practice with a large law firm, representing banks and other financial services clients with various federal and state regulatory agencies.” His position at Asset Acceptance also provided familiarity with several government entities, including the FTC, CFPB, and state regulatory agencies.
In addition to the professional connections that GLCCA involvement affords its members, Skip believes that it is an important vehicle to keep informed of the latest regulatory affairs, as well as giving the collection industry at voice at the national level. “Given the absence of federal preemption of regulation of consumer debt collection, I believe that the regulatory framework at the state level can be just as important as at the federal level. I want us to control the message about the value we provide to the economy and consumers, in shaping the perception of regulatory agencies and others about our industry so we can influence state legislators and regulatory agencies to obtain consistent and rational regulation of the industry. Our industry is just as legitimate and of equal value to the economy and consumers (we keep the cost of credit affordable; a point that should be repeated over and over) as any other financial services industry,” he notes.
Being involved in GLCCA is such a powerful tool for those who choose to take advantage of all it has to offer. Skip points to two principal benefits. “First, the opportunity to shape the perception of the industry in a positive way, by regulatory agencies and others. Second, the opportunity to foster consistent, rational regulation of the industry that does not add unnecessary cost or constraints to doing business; particularly in the areas of facilitating the use of modern forms of communication and service to consumers (email, text, debtor self-service), and reducing private litigation against the industry that serves no consumer protection interest.”
In addition to his various professional interests, Skip stays busy outside of the industry as well. His wife, children, and grandchildren keep him very occupied, however he also enjoys working in his yard, following the athletic teams of his alma mater, Notre Dame, and his own athletic pursuits in the form of handball. He is also hoping to get back to traveling with his wife, once the pandemic is over.
We are so fortunate to have Skip join the GLCCA board and look forward to benefiting from his extensive professional background. Please help us welcome him aboard!