Twenty-five state examiners attended the first week-long MTRA School for Money Transmitter Examiners held in San Francisco, California on June 18-22, 2007. Attendance was limited to the first 25 registrants and due to high demand, another session of the school will be held in Annapolis, Maryland, August 20-24 at the Historic Inns of Annapolis.
MTRA president Joseph Rooney praised the organizers and school instructors for their hard work and dedication. He stated that the use of veteran examiners as instructors, the careful selection of relevant topics for discussion, and the prevailing informal atmosphere made the school more meaningful and a great success.
Six veteran state examiners made presentations on topics such as planning the exam, analysis of financial statements of money transmitters, data mining, the MTRA core exam, the MTRA rating system, and anti money laundering and OFAC compliance. The instructors were Jeanette Barraza, CAMS, Financial Institutions Supervisor, California; John Bishop, Senior Administrator, OH; Bert Gonzalez, Financial Examiner, TX; Julio Prada, CAMS, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, CA; Julie Vanderslice, CAMS, Financial Examiner Supervisor, WA; Robert Venchiarutti, Deputy Commissioner, California; and Robert Mbama, CAMS, Consultant. The curriculum of the school was developed by the speakers.