Florida & Georgia Collectors Joint Conference
May 13-15, 2026
Agenda
Please note all times are listed in Eastern Time. Session titles, descriptions and speaker details are subject to change.
Wednesday, May 13
7:45 a.m. Optional Golf - book tee times on your own
3:30 p.m. Registration
3:30 p.m. Sponsor Table Set Up
5:00 p.m. Welcome Reception on the Terrace
Mingle and connect with fellow members and sponsors.
6:30 p.m. Dinner with Strangers
Ready to turn dinner into an adventure? Dinner with Strangers transforms an ordinary meal into an extraordinary networking experience that challenges you to embrace spontaneity and forge authentic connections.
How it Works: The mystery unfolds 30 minutes before your dining adventure when you check in onsite to reveal your restaurant destination and dining companions. Participants cover their own transportation, dinner, and drinks.
Thursday, May 14
8:00 a.m. Registration
8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast and Vendor Networking
8:30 a.m. Welcome & Opening Remarks
8:45 a.m. What can I trust and who can trust me...?
David Kelley - CEO & President - The Preferred Group of Tampa
You might have heard it said that “trust is hard-earned, easily lost, difficult to reestablish. Trust is an essential component of healthy relationships, organizations, teams, and, well, life. As a leader, trust is an essential component that must be experienced by those we lead. So how do I create it, how do I promote, how do I practice it, and what do I do if it goes away? This 50-minute interactive session focuses on the “Trust Factor” that every leader must create, capture, and cultivate.
9:30 a.m. Spotlighting our Diamond Sponsor
9:40 a.m. Morning Break & Vendor Networking
10:00 a.m. Saying it Right: Keeping Electronic Communications
Richard J. Perr - Co Managing Partner – Philadelphia Office Co Chair of KD’s Financial Services & Institutions Practice Group - Kaufman Dolowich
David Kleber - Attorney - Bedard Law Group, P.C.
This session focuses on recent legal updates and practical strategies for using modern communication methods compliantly and effectively. Learn how to properly utilize emails, texts, voice drops, and messaging in your debt collection practice. This session also includes compliant exemplars that you can take directly back to your agency.
10:50 a.m. FCA Annual Meeting of the Membership & Rising Leader Graduation
In addition to gathering to hear updates for the FCA Board of Directors we’ll also be celebrating our second cohort of Rising Leaders. FCA’s Rising Leaders Program is more than just an investment in leadership—it’s FCA’s way of giving back to its members.
10:55 a.m. GCA Annual Meeting of the Membership
11:30 a.m. Lunch & Networking
12:30 p.m. Florida OFR Update: Navigating the REAL Transition and Audit Readiness
Greg Oaks - Director of Consumer Finance - OFR
The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) Director of Consumer Finance will provide an update on the transition to the REAL (Regulatory Enforcement and Licensing) platform, focusing on implementation timelines and organizational requirements. Additionally, the OFR Manager of Examinations will outline the audit process and share best practices for managing regulatory examinations efficiently.
1:00 p.m. 2026 State & Federal Legislative Update and Litigation Trends
Jack Brown - President - Gulf Coast
Jennifer Wilson - Managing Partner - Florida Law & Advocacy Group, PLLC
Leah Dempsey - Shareholder - Brownstein
Join us for an update focusing on new laws and regulations affecting the debt collection industry. This session will cover recent legislative changes, their impact on collection practices, and actionable steps to ensure compliance. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of new compliance requirements and best practices for adapting to the evolving legal landscape.
2:00 p.m. Break & Vendor Networking
2:30 p.m. State of Self Represented Consumers
Lauren Burnette - Founder - Messer Strickler Burnette Ltd.
2025 was the beginning of the end of the “pro se litigant” as we know it. Today’s pro-se parties are better described as AI-assisted rather than self-represented--unlike the self-represented parties of the past, today's litigants have the same access to legal resources as attorneys do. This is already bringing foundational change to the collections industry as a whole, but the coming shift in consumer protection lawsuits against debt collectors and credit furnishers will be seismic. This presentation explores the current state of self-represented consumers and their impact on how collectors defend themselves. It provides real examples of such lawsuits in federal and state courts throughout Florida and Georgia and illustrates how these cases are already starting to have permanent affects, both procedurally and substantively, on the litigation process. Finally, it arms participants with strategies to implement now. while filing volume is manageable, to prevent FDCPA and FCRA lawsuits before they start.
3:15 p.m. Spotlighting our Platinum Sponsor
3:25 p.m. Laughing Matters: Leadership Skills Built Through Improv
Jessica Kagansky - SVP Risk Management - Crown Asset Management, LLC
Jack Caudill - Operations Manager - Creditor's Bureau Associates
Experiential leadership training using improv comedy techniques to build trust, communication, resilience, adaptability, and confidence—skills directly applicable to collections leadership, team management, and high-pressure decision making. This highly interactive session uses structured improv-based exercises to teach practical leadership and communication skills applicable to collections environments. Attendees will practice active listening, adaptability, and trust-building techniques they can immediately use with their teams.
5:30 p.m. Strikes & Connections at Beach Bowl
Roll into the refreshed Beach Bowl for an evening of bowling, pizza and friendly competition. Enjoy great bites and a hosted bar as you reconnect with familiar faces or meet new ones in a relaxed, beach-town setting. It’s all about strengthening our community, one frame at a time so come ready to roll! Uber codes will be available for those who need it.
Beach Bowl is located at 818 Beach Blvd Jacksonville Beach FL 32250.
Friday, May 15
8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast and Vendor Networking
8:30 a.m. Current AI Applications in Collections
Jeremy Mapes - Managing Member - Mapes LLC
Join us for a focused exploration of how Artificial Intelligence is currently being applied within debt collection offices and modern software environments. This session discusses the practical application of AI tools that are already reshaping industry standards and operational workflows.
9:30 a.m. Spotlighting our Gold Sponsors
9:40 a.m. Morning Break & Vendor Networking
10:00 a.m. Digital Self-Service Masterclass for Collections
Gordon Beck - EVP and Co-Founder - Valor Intelligent Processing LLC
The collections industry is undergoing a structural shift—from voice-first engagement to digitally orchestrated recovery strategies. This session provides an executive-level deep dive into the three pillars driving that transformation: text messaging, digital payments, and AI-powered agents.
Participants will learn how leading organizations design and sequence digital engagement strategies, balance speed with security, and achieve measurable performance gains without compromising compliance or customer experience. This session goes beyond surface-level concepts, revealing the operational architecture, controls, and decision frameworks behind successful digital programs. Attendees will leave with a clear roadmap to modernize their collections operation and drive meaningful, defensible results.
11:00 a.m. Closing Remarks
11:15 a.m. Sponsor Table Tear Down