The mission of the DEI Committee is to develop a comprehensive plan that instills mindfulness regarding all aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion, and actively promotes those values through the resources and endeavors of the College and Foundation.

 

Resources

Click Here for the Summary of Working Principles for Admission of New Fellows

View Other DEI Resources (Fellows must be logged in to view this content. If you need your user name and password, email Jenny Cudahy at jcudahy@amercol.org)

Contact us for general information regarding the College's DEI mission and initiatives by email to our co-chairs:
Hon. Joan N. Feeney (Ret.) (jfeeney@jamsadr.com)
Paul E. Harner (peharner@outlook.com)

Contact us for technical information, corrections, or other questions about this website by email to Jenny Cudahy (jcudahy@amercol.org).

Paul E. Harner (Co-Chair)Baltimore, MD

Joan N. Feeney (ret.) (Co-Chair)Boston, MA

Nina M. Parker (1st Circuit CAC, College Policy Subco)Winchester, MA

M. Benjamin Jones (2nd Circuit CAC)New York, NY

Karen A. Giannelli (3rd Circuit CAC, Communications Subco)Newark, NJ

Paula S. Beran (4th Circuit CAC, External Subco)Richmond, VA

Omar J. Alaniz (5th Circuit CAC, Communications Co-Chair)Dallas, TX

Richardo I. Kilpatrick (6th Circuit CAC, College Policy Subco)Auburn Hills, MI

Catherine Steege (7th Circuit CAC, College Policy Subco)Chicago, IL

Kristina M. Stanger (8th Circuit CAC, Communications Subco)Des Moines, IA

Jane Kim (9th Circuit CAC, External Subco)San Francisco, CA

David R. Payne (10th Circuit CAC, External Subco)Oklahoma City, OK

Leyza Florin (11th Circuit CAC, External Subco)Miami, FL

Sheri A. Bluebond (At-Large, Communications Co-Chair)Los Angeles, CA

J. Scott Bovitz (At-Large, Communications Subco)Los Angeles, CA

Chuck C. Choi (At-Large)Honolulu, HI

Tobey M. Daluz (At- Large)Wilmington, DE

Pamela Foohey (At-Large, External Subco)Athens, GA

Rozanne M. Giunta (At Large, College Policy Subco)Midland, MI

Paul Hage (At-Large, Communications Subco)Detroit, MI

Peggy Hunt (At-Large, College Policy Subco)Salt Lake City , UT

Enrique S. Lamoutte-Inclan (At-Large, Communications Subco)San Juan, PR

Laurel Myerson Isicoff (At-Large)Miami, FL

Demetra Liggins (At-Large, External Subco)Houston, TX

Diane Lourdes Dick (At-Large, College Policy Subco)Iowa City, IA

John A.E. Pottow (At-Large, College Policy Subco)Ann Arbor, MI

Daniel S. Opperman (At-Large, College Policy Subco)Bay City, MI

Jennifer McLain McLemore (At-Large, External Subco)Richmond, VA

Erithe A. Smith (Former Co-Chair, At-Large External Subco)Santa Ana, CA

Kathy A. Surratt-States (At-Large, External Subco)St. Louis, MO

Deborah Lee Thorne (At-Large, External Subco)Chicago, IL

Maureen A. Tighe (At-Large, External Subco)Woodland Hills, CA

Alan S. Trust (At-Large, External Subco)Central Islip, NY

Sharon Zemel Weiss (At-Large, External Subco)Santa Monica, CA

College Policy Subcommittee
 

The mission of the College Policy Subcommittee is to make recommendations to the DEI Committee that incorporate the diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives of the College in relation to its corporate governance, infrastructure, and values.   The particular goals assigned to the Internal Subcommittee are to develop and implement: working principles of inclusion and equity to supplement the procedures of the Circuit Admissions Councils, Judicial Nominating Committee, Nominating Committee, Board of Directors, and Committee Chairs in making their appointments to promote and identify nominees of diverse backgrounds to be Fellows, officers, directors, and committee chairs as leaders of the College;  trainings and educational programs in the College’s DEI policy for all Fellows, in particular directors, officers,  members of the board of directors and board of regents, committee chairs, members of the Circuit Admissions Councils, and Freshmen Fellows;  to assist in the development and continuation of the Freshmen Fellows Program; and to review and make recommendations for Bylaws changes to implement any of the DEI Committee’s recommendations.

Rozanne Giunta, Chair (rgiunta@wnj.com)

External Subcommittee

The External Subcommittee makes recommendations to the Committee regarding the development and support of “pipeline” programs that advance the College’s DEI objectives in the greater bankruptcy/insolvency community; reviews and makes recommendations specifically designed to assist CACs in creating pathways to excellence for diverse bankruptcy/insolvency professionals; and monitors the DEI activities of other like organizations such as ABI, NCBJ, IWIRC, and the newly formed Bankruptcy Consortium Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinating Committee.

Jane Kim, Chair (jkim@kbkllp.com)

Communication Subcommittee

The Communications Subcommittee reviews and makes recommendations with respect to all communications relating to the DEI Committee’s objectives, programs, projects, as well as content on the DEI page of the College’s website and relevant social media.  This Subcommittee also assists and supports the Internal and External Subcommittees in the planning and implementation of College sponsored DEI programs.

Omar Alaniz, Co-Chair (oalaniz@reedsmith.com)
Hon. Sheri A. Bluebond, Co-Chair  (sheri_bluebond@cacb.uscourts.gov)



Professional Pipeline Grants from the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation

The Foundation remains committed to fostering the next generation of bankruptcy professionals. To help expand access to the field, the Foundation has awarded $58,500 in Professional Pipeline Grants to five organizations that provide students with opportunities to attend conferences, gain hands-on experience through internships, and develop cultural competency skills to better serve bankruptcy clients.

Grants 

ACB Scholars

ACB Scholars

The American College of Bankruptcy partners with Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization (JTB) to provide stipends to six law students participating in JTB’s Summer Judicial Internship Project (Project). The Project, a collaboration between JTB and the Judicial Resources Committee of the United States Judicial Conference, provides highly qualified law students, from socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds underrepresented in the legal profession, with summer judicial internships in the chambers of federal appellate, district, bankruptcy, and magistrate judges, as well as select state appellate judges

Click here to see the impact this program has had on the lives of one of our scholars.

2025 ACB Scholars
Mitchel Floding: University of Minnesota Law School
Erica Glover: Lincoln Memorial University – Duncan School of Law
Matilda Koduah: University of Notre Dame Law School
Gabriella “Gabbie” Pettijohn: Chicago Kent College of Law
Brynna Smith: University of Missouri School of Law
Tyler “Ty” Yee: University of San Diego School of Law

2024 ACB Scholars
Joshua Bedoya: George Washington University Law School
Marianna Gonzalez: Nova Southeastern Shepard Broad College of Law
Darwin Perry: Howard University School of Law
Victoria AndersonL University of Arizona
Yanan Tang: University of Minnesota
Hongmei Hu:University of Illinois College of Law

2023 ACB Scholars
Tanner Bowen: Harvard Law School
Hans Brownstein: University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
Vasily (Vas)Levin: University of Florida School of Law
Joseph Ulloa: University of North Texas Dallas College of Law
Kemberly Viveros: Temple University Beasley School of Law
Qingqing (Kris) Zhang: Drexel University Thomas Kline School of Law

2022 ACB Scholars      
Cameron Love: Emory Law School
Brian Lozano: City University of New York School of Law
Yuree Nam: Syracuse University College of Law
Myoungin Isaac Oh: Washington University School of Law
Sequra Washington: Nova Southeastern Shepard Broad College of Law
Deiona Camargo: University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law

ACB Scholar Video 

Howard Dreams

DREAMS

On November 6th, 2024, the College, in collaboration with the ABI, presented the second annual Discovering Restructuring Expertise and Mentorship Symposium (DREAMS) program at the Howard University School of Law. The program informed students from at least five different law schools about careers in the insolvency field. It also provided scholarly analysis on cutting-edge and provocative bankruptcy issues as well as a platform for frank discussion on ways our profession can better focus on mentorship and sponsorship.  For many students, this event provided the first glimpse of our insolvency profession. Click the button below for more details.

Howard DREAMS

Diversity in Restructuring & Insolvency Volunteer Effectiveness

MENTORSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS:
D.R.I.V.E.

In 2023, the College implemented  a Developing Restructuring & Insolvency Volunteer Effectiveness (DRIVE) program designed to create a professional development network with/for mid-level professionals in the insolvency arena. The program is designed to facilitate interaction between Fellows and mid-level professionals in a manner that encourages dialogue about enhancing one’s career in the insolvency arena, and all Fellows will be given the opportunity to pledge to participate in the program and connect with mid-level bankruptcy and insolvency professionals.  At the All Fellows Luncheon in 2023 over 90 ACB Fellows pledged to participate in DRIVE (over 100 Fellows are now in the program).  Click here start your DRIVE with us.

DRIVE WITH US! 

Someone Believed Me

Someone Believed in Me

Many of our Fellows have inspiring stories to tell about how their journey to a career in bankruptcy was inspired or encouraged by someone who believed in them or how they helped to advance the career of another bankruptcy professional. View the videos, linked below, for inspiration on how you may inspire and encourage the next generation of insolvency professionals. View our Sizzle Reel!

Someone Believed in Me:
Omar Alaniz
Michael Baxter
Hon. Joan N. Feeney
Hon. Michelle Harner
Marc Levinson
Hon. Enrique Lamoutte-Inclan
Hon. Erithe Smith
Hon. Kathy Surratt-States

I Believed in Someone
Richard Carmody

ACB Scholarship Award Winners:
2025 ACB Scholarship Award Recipients
2024 ACB Scholarship Award Recipients
2023 ACB Scholarship Interview: Tanner Bowen
2023 ACB Scholar Interview: Hans Brownstein
2023 ACB Scholar Interview: Vas Levin
2023 ACB Scholar Interview: Qinging (Kris) Zhang

The DEI Excellence Award

The DEI Excellence Award

At its September 2024 meetings in Seattle, Washington, the College presented its annual DEI Excellence Award to the City Bar Justice Center (Justice Center), a pro bono legal services adjunct of the Bar Association of the City of New York.

The Justice Center is engaged in myriad bankruptcy-related DEI initiatives, including the provision of pro bono legal services to a number of diverse constituencies participating in the bankruptcy system, as well as a major new DEI educational program for bankruptcy professionals practicing at New York-area firms.  In its award citation, the College and its Standing Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion noted in particular the multi-dimensional nature of the Justice Center’s efforts and its DEI advocacy in our industry.  Likewise, the DEI Committee emphasized that the Justice Center’s leadership, which includes representatives from virtually every major law firm in New York, has been steadfastly diligent  in the face of recent DEI “pushback” in the larger political environment.

The College and the DEI Committee believe not only that Justice Center is a more than worthy recipient of the DEI Excellence Award, but that it has adopted and is pursuing a model program.

DEI Awards

New York Women's Initiative

Focus on Gender: New York Women's Initiative

The DEI Committee partnered with the New York Women's Initiative and the University of California’s Equality Action Center to conduct a wide-scale survey with member firms to examine how bias based on race and gender play out in bankruptcy and restructuring workplaces. These results were presented at an "Interrupting Gender Bias in the Restructuring Industry" event on November 14, 2024 at Kirkland & Ellis in New York. Click here for more details.

IDEA Consortium

The DEI Committee is a member of the Bankruptcy Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility Consortium, which comprises about a dozen insolvency organizations. The Consortium acts as a repository of resources relevant to the member organizations’ efforts to promote and foster diversity in the insolvency community.

 IDEA Consortium

NCBJ Blackshear Presidential Fellows

The National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges sponsors fellowships to enable up and coming diverse bankruptcy attorneys to attend its annual conference.  For additional information and nomination/application procedures, please click the button below. Click here for more details

Paris Olympics 2024

DEI Initiatives Raise Standards

Gymnastics reached new heights (literally) with Simone Biles. Dr. Arin Reeves explains the role that DEI initiatives played in setting higher standards at the Paris Olympics in this must-read article.

(Shared with permission by Nextions)

Click here to read

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