By Jane W. Mitnick

NJTMA has been such a large part of my professional life over these past two years. It is hard to believe this will be my last President's Message to you. I will continue to serve NJTMA as Chair and also as Vice Chair of the TMA Global 2018 Chapter Presidents' Council.

It has been an honor to serve you as we shared friendships and referrals, hosted high-quality educational and networking events and awarded numerous scholarships. I'm very proud of all our programming, including the regional breakfasts, educational panels, joint events, the ever-popular Mid-Atlantic Regional Symposium and Northeast Regional Conference, and especially the Annual Honorable Rosemary Gambardella Scholarship Competition, which was awarded TMA Global's Most Innovative Program for Partnerships Award last fall.

I am particularly proud to be leaving you a financially strong chapter due to our dedicated sponsors and the success of our revamped annual sponsorship program. Without our sponsors help, we would not be able to provide the number and quality of educational and networking events throughout the year.

NJTMA plays a vital role in shaping our profession. I am proud of our commitment to educating the next generation of restructuring leaders, whether through mentoring NextGen members' careers or through our three scholarship programs. Between the annual NJTMA and George Mehm Scholarship (awarded at a Seton Hall basketball game each year), the NJTMA Scholar program for children and grandchildren of NJTMA members, and the scholarships awarded to the winners of the Annual Honorable Rosemary Gambardella Scholarship Competition held at Rutgers Law School, we continue to make an impact.

Looking forward, I hope to see us continue strengthening our NOW and NextGen initiatives, as well as find more ways to engage these professionals in the bankruptcy and restructuring industry.

Running an organization like NJTMA, is a collective effort that requires the time, dedication and energy of many people. A deep and heartfelt thank you to our board members, committee and event chairs, members, sponsors, 50 Words and most especially our Chapter Executive Betty Mantz, whose service is invaluable. You all give new meaning to the words leadership, dedication and volunteerism.

Lastly, I thank you all for allowing me to serve you as NJTMA President. It has been a privilege and an experience that I will always cherish. I've met new colleagues, been inspired by so many of our members, made new friends, learned more than I could imagine I would have and enjoyed it to the fullest. I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Holiday Party and Annual Meeting on January 11th and would like to extend my best wishes to you for a happy and prosperous new year!