Meet the Board
Pete Roth, President
President and CEO, CST Co.
Palmer H. (Pete) Roth has been with CST Co. since 1982, and he has been the president and CEO of CST Co. since January 2007. Pete started with the company as a territory sales rep in the Midwest and Midsouth and rose through the ranks, becoming the national sales manager prior to moving into his present position. He has a degree in Business Administration from Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY and has been happily married to his wife, LuAnn, for 34 years. Lu and Pete have three children and two young grandchildren they enjoy doting over.
Humberto E. Matz, Vice-President
General Manager, Creditors Adjustment Bureau
Humberto earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Northridge, in 1986. In 1986, as a “summer job”, he took a collector position at LC Financial in order to learn the art of negotiation. Promoted to the role of Account Manager in 1988, he directed the handling of debtor accounts along the east coast region, which involved communicating with clients and forwarding attorneys, as well as taking over the training of the collector staff. In 1996, he assumed the role of General Manager, overseeing the daily operations of LC Financial.
In 2004, LC Financial was purchased by Creditors Adjustment Bureau. Humberto oversaw the integration of LC Financial operations with those of Creditors Adjustment Bureau. Today, Humberto continues in his “summer job” as the General Manager of Creditors Adjustment Bureau, overseeing the operations of the collection, sales, administrative, and legal departments.
Creditors Adjustment Bureau is a premier commercial collection agency with an in-house law firm of 5 collection attorneys and a full staff of paralegals and legal secretaries.
Fred Wasserspring, Treasurer
Chief Operating Officer, Lyon Collection Services, Inc.
Graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor's Degree in Management. Received an MBA from the Stern School of Business at NYU in New York City majoring in accounting and a minor in Finance. Started my working career with what is now KPMG Peat Marwick. Passed the NY CPA exam in 1972. Upon leaving KPMG Peat Marwick joined what became Prudential Securities Inc. in various capacities including manager of product line accounting line accounting and controller of fixed income accounting. Became President of Prudential Bache Metal Company, the physical commodities affiliate of Prudential Securities for 10 years. After leaving Prudential Bache Metal Company when Prudential decided to exit the business became President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Anthony Jewelers an American Stock Exchange publicly traded company for 4 and a half years. Upon leaving Michael Anthony Jewelers I became Chief Operating Officer of all Lyon Companies including Lyon Mercantile Group, Ltd., Lyon Collection Services and Lyon Capital Corporation and 4 other affiliates.
Civic duties:
Trustee and Deputy Mayor of the Village of Saddle Rock New York for almost 20 years. Park Commissioner of the Village of Saddle Rock. Trustee of the Great Neck North Shore Cable Commission, a Public Access Cable Corporation comprising of 15 Villages on the Great Neck Peninsula and Manhasset, NY Villages.
Winner of the “What I would do if I were Mayor of New York?" contest in 1969 that established one-way tolls between New York and New Jersey.
David I. Herer, Secretary
CEO, ABC-Amega, Inc.
David serves as Chief Executive Officer of ABC-Amega, Inc., a global firm specializing in commercial accounts receivable management solutions. He is responsible for setting the company’s long-term vision, strategy and corporate objectives, and for overseeing promotional initiatives to the marketplace. His tenure has been characterized by diversification and enhanced international awareness of the firm’s receivable management services. His focus is on the continued expansion of global capabilities to U.S. and International clients, and leadership in innovative international accounts receivable solutions.
A graduate of George Washington University Law School and the University of Rochester, David joined the company as Vice President and Counsel in 1982, was promoted to President in 1990, and subsequently named CEO in 2000. David’s leadership was instrumental in the company achieving the distinction of being the only private receivable management firm honored with the U.S. President’s “E Star” Award for excellence in foreign trade service and marketing.
In addition to his company leadership responsibilities, David’s community leadership and board service has included The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Buffalo Seminary, CEPA Gallery, the Buffalo Chamber Players, UB School of Management Dean’s Advisory Council, the United States District Export Council - Upstate NY, and the World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara. In 2016, David was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Finance Advisory Council by then U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker, and was subsequently re-appointed for a second term by current Secretary Wilbur Ross. David is a board member of the Commercial Collection Agencies of America (CCA of A) and currently serves as the organization’s secretary.
Tom Claybaugh
President and CEO, Mountain States Commercial Credit Management
Tom Claybaugh began his commercial collections career in 1984. He joined Mountain States Commercial Credit Management in 1998 and serves as President and CEO.
MSCCM is a full-service commercial credit bureau and collection agency assisting the credit professional in all aspects of portfolio management. As well as maintaining membership in Credit Research Foundation, Tom and Mountain States are founding members of Commercial Collection Agencies of America.
Steve Rauch
President, Rauch-Milliken International, Inc.
Steve Rauch is a founding partner and President of Rauch-Milliken International, Inc. established in 1989. RMI has been serving the credit community throughout the US and internationally with commercial collections and receivable management services.
The importance of collections became evident at the age of 13 while delivering newspapers to apartment rentals. Throwing papers in the rain to three story buildings was the easy part, but collecting money at the end of the month after services were rendered proved much more challenging. Fast forward 15 years and he realized all commercial businesses that extend credit had the same challenges - the need for effective collections.
Steve is an active alumnus of Brother Martin High School in New Orleans. He attended LSU and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of New Orleans. For the past 30+ years he has been a member of Commercial Law League, International Association of Commercial Collectors, and the Louisiana Collectors Association where he served as past president, treasurer, and as a board member for 25 years. He has been a panelist speaker at NARCA and NACM. He is also a founding member of CCAofA.
Through the years he has been an active supporter of St. Jude Children's Hospital, Covenant House, and Special Olympics. He is married to his bride of 28 years, and they are most proud of their three beautiful, successful children. In his spare time, he is a avid tennis player and enjoys travel, boating, and motorcycling.
Jim McDermott
Chief Operating Officer, Altus Receivables Management
Jim McDermott has been with Altus since 1997. He started with Altus as a Salesperson working in Altus’ Vancouver, WA. location. Soon after Jim was promoted to Regional Manager, before finally taking the position of COO in 2008. In this role Jim works with the CEO and Board of directors to develop and execute on overall strategy and guide technology investment and M&A efforts. Jim created and oversees the Altus Affiliate Program, and manages the sales and 1st and 3rd party collection Teams at Altus.
Jim served the CLLA Agency Section for three years and earned a B.A. in economics from Western Washington University. He currently resides with his wife and daughter in New Orleans. He is a proud father of three and enjoys fishing, boating, live music, and cooking.
Meg Scotty, Standards Board Liaison
CEO, Brennan & Clark
Meg stumbled into the receivables arena in 1987 and found a home. Originally accepting a consulting job to create credit policies and procedures while taking a break from her Clothing Design business, she decided the receivables arena was saner.
She uses her creativity and passion for improving the status quo in just about everything she puts her attention to.
Over the years, Meg has gone from consulting to working for, and eventually purchasing the commercial collection agency Brennan & Clark. She has created a fun, focused, and purposeful organization.
Along the way, her passion for the industry led her to be involved in the Commercial Collection Agency Association as a Board member and later, she became Chair. She then championed creating the Commercial Collection Agencies of America, where she was President, and now Past President
Whether raising her two children, out on an adventure with her husband, or enjoying the serenity of the outdoors on her bike, on her skis, or hiking through the mountains, there is never a “status quo”, it is always full on, get in the grind and find the fun in anything.
Commercial Collection Agencies of America, Inc.
P.O. Box 1695, Arlington Heights, IL 60006
(847) 907-4670 ~ info@commercialcollectionagenciesofamerica.com