BUFFALO Regional Meeting | Buffalo | May 12
On your mark! NACM Connect is heading to the starting gate in Amherst, NY, for our 2026 Regional Meeting. Round up your crew for an elite educational agenda and pre-race networking festivities on us! We’ll see you at the finish line on May 12.
For more information please contact Bob Rabe at bob.rabe@nacmconnect.org.
9:30 – 9:45 A.M.
Opening Remarks
Barb Pavelski, NACM Connect
9:45 – 10:45 A.M.
AR Automation & Payments
Matthew Hacker, National Sales Executive, UTA
Automating A/R helps companies receive payments faster by eliminating manual tasks like invoice follow-ups, payment reminders, and cash application. It reduces errors, improves visibility into customer accounts, and frees finance teams to focus on higher-value work instead of chasing paperwork. The result is smoother cash flow and a more efficient, predictable collections process.
11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Nuts & Bolts of Notices, Lien Waivers, and Mechanics Liens: Reduce DSO and Protect Your Bottom Line
Alec Papesch, Director of Strategic Partnerships, NCS Credit
Construction credit comes with unique challenges, including long payment cycles, thin margins, and the ever-present risk of non-payment. This session breaks down the foundational tools every construction credit professional should know, covering the Notice, Lien Waiver, and Mechanic’s Lien process from preliminary notices through foreclosure. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to move from unsecured to secured, become a payment priority, and leverage technology to manage their construction portfolio more efficiently.
1:15 — 2:15 P.M.
The 5 C’s of Credit in Review
Caroline Perkins, CCE, Credit Manager, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires
As economic volatility persists and pressure mounts across supply chains, credit, and consumer sentiment, understanding your risk exposure in real time is more critical than ever. In this session, Conrad Ragan from Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) will dissect the evolving 2026 risk landscape—highlighting the macroeconomic signals, sector-specific stress points, and behavioral shifts that should be on every finance leader’s radar.
2:30 – 3:30 P.M.
Standby Letters of Credit
Thomas Fawkes, Partner, Tucker Ellis LLP; Brian Jackiw, Partner, Tucker Ellis LLP
Standby letters of credit represent one of the most powerful tools in a credit professional’s toolbox to provide payment assurance in the event of a customer default. What makes them particularly attractive, compared to other credit enhancements, is that they are “bankruptcy-proof,” meaning that they can be accessed in the event of a bankruptcy and therefore
provide creditors with substantial protection against bankruptcy losses. For them to be effective, however, they must be properly structured, and their requirements must be strictly followed. During this presentation, Thomas Fawkes and Brian Jackiw from Tucker Ellis LLP will provide an overview of standby letters of credit, including how they are created, how they operate, and the steps creditors must take to ensure that they are honored.