MTRA’s 2003 Annual Conference kicked off on October 19th in Orlando. Located in sunny central Florida, the Hotel Royal Plaza provided an excellent conference site with a variety of nearby attractions. The conference was very well attended and hosted regulators from twenty-four states, five federal agencies and over eighty participants from industry and related areas.
This year’s theme was entitled “A Cooperative Effort Can Transmit the Common Good,” and the program provided an atmosphere designed to facilitate networking and exchange between both industry and regulators. Attendees were fortunate to have a number of distinguished speakers provide perspectives on topics such as surety bond claims, agent oversight, as well as federal and industry reporting issues.
MTRA members conducted annual business meetings and roundtable sessions on Monday morning and a successful Regulators School in the afternoon. The membership elected the following to head up the MTRA for the next two years: J. Philip Goddard of Indiana, President and Director; Joseph E. Rooney of Maryland, Vice President and Director; Marsha Massey of Colorado, Treasurer and Director; Robert Venchiarutti of California, Secretary and Director; Paul Fazio of New York, Director; Greg Gonzales of Tennessee, Director; Tracy M. Hudson of West Virginia; Director; Randall James of Texas, Director; and Nicholas C. Kyrus of Virginia, Director.
Industry representatives conducted meetings during the afternoon moderated by Jorge Guerrero of Vigo Remittance and Ezra Levine, Partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Howrey Simon Arnold & White. The reception to open the conference was held Monday evening and well attended.
On Tuesday morning, MTRA President Victor Seesholtz opened the conference, and the crowd was welcomed by Rick White, Deputy Director of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. Juan Sanchez, Community Affairs Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, provided the Keynote Presentation, and the industry and regulator groups joined together for panel presentations on surety bonds, agent oversight, reporting issues, state and federal coordination, relationships between money transmitters and financial institutions and the ever popular state and federal legislative developments.
The meeting closed on Wednesday afternoon after interesting sessions on stored value cards, the MTRA CORE Report and cooperative examinations, and a joint roundtable discussion of a variety of subjects. Jerry LiVigni of the US Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control spoke to the group on the benefit of working together.
Each year, the conference enjoys the support of both regulators and industry participants and has the distinction of providing respected speakers with diverse perspectives on the industry and its activities.
The Orlando Annual Conference marked the end of President Vic Seesholtz’s term, and we will certainly miss his leadership as he retires from state government. Incoming President Phil Goddard stated, “Vic is a dedicated public servant who has served his State and this association for many years, and his departure from both will be sorely missed. His contributions to the association have helped it become what it is today. I wish both he and his wife the very best in their retirement.” The membership certainly echoes President Goddard’s statement and will miss Vic’s guidance and friendship going forward.
President Goddard announced that the 2004 MTRA annual conference will be held in Denver, Colorado from September 12 -15 and extended an invitation to regulators and industry representatives to attend.
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