Thursday, February 24, 2011

Bail Bonds: 2011 PBUS President’s Award and the Future of the Bail Industry

To say I was shocked when I heard that I was going to receive a special award at this year’s PBUS convention would be an understatement. I am very appreciative for being singled out in this way and am humbled by the many nice things that were said.

So once again, thank you very much to the PBUS Board of Directors for this award. I am honored to receive it.

That being said, I need to be very honest….While I am very happy to get this award, I am not happy at all with the state of our industry.

I am saddened at the way that our industry continues to struggle to come together on a national scale. There are an estimated 18,000 bail bond agents in the United States, but only a very few can find the time or the value in attending our industry’s National Association Meeting. That fact makes me unhappy.

I am unhappy with the overall apathy that exists in our industry at every level from agents to sureties.

I am unhappy in the way that there is fragmentation amongst the sureties who want the same things for our industry.

I am unhappy in the way that there is fragmentation amongst the agents who everyday fight for the same things.

I am unhappy that there are still the same cliques that exist across our state and national associations that have existed for many years with little or no plans for action or change.

But, while unhappy, I am still extremely optimistic for the future. Whether you believe it or not, we are facing a huge opportunity right now as an industry... An opportunity to finally come together to create a common front against the things that plague us. Things like the economy, increased competition and government sponsored programs to name a few.

We need to put aside the petty differences that we have faced for years. This infighting has only fueled our enemies and weakened us as an industry. We need better communication, we need better organization, we need better leadership and we need better participation. Then and only then, we will have a fighting chance against our biggest enemy…which is right now, in my opinion, ourselves.

I humbly accept this award, but not as an accolade, but instead as a call to action. I see it as a challenge for me and my family of companies, family of agents and industry colleagues to move things in the right direction. To move things forward to not just “save bail” as is the common cry these days, but more importantly, to enhance and grow our industry in best way possible. I hope you all join me in this mission.

Thank you.