Congratulations go out to Susan Archibeque, CCE on her upcoming "semi-retirement" from Nicholas & Company. For over 18 years, Susan's vision and dedication to the credit profession helped foster excellence and financial success at Nicholas & Company. While she is stepping down from her role as Director of the Credit Department, she will be a Credit Business Consultant and will continue to work on special projects.

Susan is the recipient of numerous NACM Awards, including the prestigious Credit Executive of the Year and Instructor of the Year. Susan is an accomplished author writing brilliant articles for NACM's local and national publications. Susan was the winner of the Credit Research Foundations writing works contest with her article titled Conquering the Challenge of Overridden Credit Decisions. Her article Three Approaches to Reining in Customer Debt was published in the Wall Street Journal in 2007. Susan has been a popular presenter, speaking to audiences locally and at NACM's Annual Credit Congress and Expo.

Susan served tirelessly on the NACM Board of Directors for several terms, including serving as Board Chair in 2005. Susan taught and mentored countless students in the art and science of business credit at Salt Lake Community College and within NACM.

This is how Susan describes what she does: "I take one of the hardest jobs in a company and make it fun, exciting and challenging. I am an innovative team leader with the ability to get team members to want to be their very best. I have developed the ability to connect vital behaviors to intrinsic motives, in coaching the specifics of each behavior through deliberate practice when building effective teams. I am self-driven, hardworking, enthusiastic, curious, and believe with a positive attitude anything is possible. With years of experience, I have developed excellent communication and interpersonal skills and have a talent for recognizing and utilizing the skills of others.

I embrace humility because it helps me to be a better person. I am grateful for opportunities in my past, both good and bad, because it has molded me into the person I am today. I welcome change and view it as exciting and challenging because it stimulates my curiosity and creativity and I believe it is necessary to sustain growth. I am hungry to learn more and take on bigger challenges that bring value, change lives and make the impossible possible."

On behalf of your friends at NACM, thank you Susan your hard work, dedication and contributions to the business credit profession. We wish you the best in this next phase of your life and a long and joyous retirement.