2023 Awards

National Creditors Bar Association Awards highlight the fantastic work of our members and fellow industry representatives. These awards cover community service participation by our law firm members, outstanding State Creditors Bar Associations (SCBA), and impressive entities or people that represent and stand for the creditors rights industry. If you would like to nominate a SCBA, firm, person or entity that falls into one of those categories, read more below on award specifics and how to nominate. Please note, self-nominations are encouraged!

Member of the Year Award

The National Creditors Bar Association (NCBA) Member of the Year Award is intended to be presented to a member who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the NCBA vision.

NCBA Community Service Award

The National Creditors Bar Association Community Service Award is intended to recognize the member firm that has best demonstrated an overall firm commitment to and implementation of activities for the betterment of its community. The recipient will be a firm that has given, as a firm or through a large percentage of individual employees, substantial time to its community (which can include pro bono representation). The Award will recognize firm-wide effort, not that of one individual within a firm. Nominees will be evaluated based on the level of commitment shown, not on the number of hours or dollars provided, so that small firms are as likely to receive the award as large firms (as shown by the variety of previous recipients).

Outstanding SCBA Award

The National Creditors Bar Association (NCBA) Outstanding SCBA Award is intended to recognize the SCBA which has best demonstrated a high level of activity within the legal community and within NCBA, and to recognize the challenges faced and surmounted.

Donald Kramer Award

National Creditors Bar Association's annual Donald Kramer Award is presented to a person or organization “whose efforts have made a substantial and lasting impact for the benefit of the credit and legal collection community.”

President's Award

This award goes to someone who demonstrates leadership within the NCBA community. Nominations cannot be made for this award. It is given at the sole direction of the NCBA Board President.

Past Award Recipents

President's Award

  • 2007—Harvey Sharinn, Sharinn & Lipshie, PC
  • 2008—Wayne Babovich, Babovich & Spedale
  • 2009—Thomas Canary, Mapother & Mapother, PSC
  • 2010—Adam J. Olshan, Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff, PC
  • 2011—Michael H.R. Buckles, Buckles & Buckles, PLC
  • 2012—June Coleman, Kronick Moskovitz Tiedeman & Girard; and Tomio Narita, Simmonds & Narita LLP
  • 2013—Eric Berman, Eric M. Berman, P.C. (awarded posthumously)
  • 2014—Brenda Majewski, Kohn Law Firm, S.C.
  • 2015—Yale Levy, Levy & Associates, LLC; Steve Markoff, Markoff Law; and Brent Yarborough, Zarzaur & Schwartz, P.C.
  • 2016—Nathan Willner, Lyons, Doughty & Veldhuis, P.C.
  • 2017—Alane Becket, Becket & Lee LLP; and Mark Groves, Glasser & Glasser, P.L.C.
  • 2018—Weltman, Weinberg & Reis, Co., LPA
  • 2019—Robin Cole, National Creditors Bar Association
  • 2020—Bill Hicks, Messerli & Kramer
  • 2021—Advocacy Support Fund Supporters
  • 2023—Marvin Dang, Nelson & Kennard

Member of the Year Award

  • 2018—Manuel H. Newburger, Barron & Newburger, P.C.
  • 2019—Tomio Narita, Simmonds & Narita LLP
  • 2020—Harvey Moore, The Moore Law Group

Donald Kramer Award

  • 2004—Dennis Hammond, DBA International
  • 2005—Manny Newburger, Collection Industry Consultant
  • 2006—Jim Balogh, Creator of Banko
  • 2007—Jeffrey Bailles, National Association of Subrogation Professionals
  • 2008—Sam Gerdano, American Bankruptcy Institute
  • 2009—Michael Ginsberg, Kaulkin Ginsberg
  • 2010—Steven Goldman, CLS, Inc.
  • 2011—Richard Kamermann, Ford Motor Credit Corp.
  • 2012—The House Financial Literacy & Economic Education Caucus
  • 2013—no recipient
  • 2014—The Honorable Annette M. Rizzo
  • 2015—Stephanie Eidelman with insideARM
  • 2016—The Conference of Chief Justices’ Committee on Civil Justice Improvements
  • 2017—The American Bar Association
  • 2018—Representatives Alex Mooney (R-WV) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX)
  • 2019—Joann Needleman, Clark Hill PLC, and past-President of NCBA
  • 2020—Brit Suttell, Barron & Newburger, P.C.
  • 2022—Dave Wharton, Founder of Stratus Payment Solutions and NCBA’s Scholarship Program
  • 2023—Arizona State Creditors Bar Association

Community Service Award

  • 2005—Buckles & Buckles in Michigan
  • 2006—McIntosh Law Firm in North Carolina
  • 2007—Weltman, Weinberg and Reis Company in Ohio
  • 2008—South & Associates in Kansas
  • 2009—Morgan Bornstein & Morgan in New Jersey
  • 2010—Trott & Trott in Michigan
  • 2011—Litow & Pech in Iowa
  • 2012—Hosto|Buchan in Arkansas
  • 2013—Glasser and Glasser, P.L.C. in Virginia
  • 2014—Couch Conville & Blitt in Louisiana; and Harris & Harris in Illinois
  • 2015—Kohn Law Firm S.C. in Wisconsin
  • 2016—Messerli & Kramer, P.A. in Minnesota; and Fenton & McGarvey Law Firm, P.S.C. in Kentucky
  • 2017—Tobin & Marohn in Connecticut
  • 2018—Bass & Associates, P.C. in Arizona
  • 2019—Gurstel Law Firm, P.C., in Minnesota; and Keith D. Weiner & Associates, Co. LPA in Ohio
  • 2020—The “Acts of Kindness” Member Firms:
    Blitt and Gaines, P.C.
    Couch, Conville & Blitt, LLC
    The Law Offices of Daniel C. Consuegra, P.L.
    Friedman & Associates, LLC
    Glasser and Glasser, P.L.C.
    Gordon, Aylworth & Tami, P.C.
    Gurstel Law Firm P.C.
    The Law Office of Howard B. Weber
    The Law Office of Jason Gang, PLLC
    The McHughes Law Firm PLLC
    Messer Strickler, Ltd.
    Newby, Sartip & Masel, LLC
    North Central Legal Solutions, PC
    O'Reilly Rancilio P.C.
    Persolve Legal Group, LLP
    Randolph, Boyd, Cherry and Vaughan
    The Law Offices of Ronald S. Canter, LLC
    Slovin & Associates
    Tobin & Marohn
    Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., LPA
    Zimmerman & Zimmerman, P.A.
  • 2023—Keith D. Weiner & Associates, Co. LPA

SCBA Award

  • 2014—The Commercial Lawyers Conference of New York; The Virginia Creditor Bar Association
  • 2015—North Carolina Creditors Bar Association
  • 2016—Connecticut Creditors Bar Association
  • 2017—Maryland-DC Creditors Bar Association
  • 2018—Texas Creditors Bar Association
  • 2019—New York State Creditors Bar Association
  • 2020—Michigan Creditors Bar Association
  • 2022—Arizona State Creditors Bar Association
  • 2023—Florida Creditor’s Bar Association