Editor’s note: The chair of the ACAMS Central Ohio Chapter has written a whimsical “love letter” to all of the chapter’s members and guests who participated in the chapter’s 2021 events. The heartfelt message expresses the chapter’s gratitude toward the individuals who made it possible for the chapter to organize and present online activities that enabled them to maintain a sense of community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dear members and guests from 2021:
I wanted to send a love note to the members and guests of the Central Ohio ACAMS Chapter, as it is because of you that we were able to celebrate a successful “virtual” 2021. We love that we held four successful virtual events last year and that we have fantastic plans for 2022 that we hope you will embrace fondly.
We loved that in February 2021, we were able to host a panel of speakers from the Department of Homeland Security covering such topics as the Paycheck Protection Program, healthcare fraud and other timely concerns for our members. In addition, Raymond “Nando” Quinones of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and members of his staff shared their expertise with an eager audience, providing some great case studies and tips for identifying possible illegal activity.
In May 2021, we hosted a beloved panel on human trafficking, featuring experts who have previously provided content for ACAMS at its conventions. It was a fantastic presentation and a great reminder that events—such as the Super Bowl and even those held in Central Ohio, like the Arnold Sports Festival in March 2022—can be havens for illegal and immoral acts.
Last August, we loved the experts from Ernst & Young who gave a presentation on the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 and its implications. Since our membership consists largely of representatives from banks, credit card companies and credit unions, this was a timely and thorough presentation.
Finally, our November 2021 annual meeting turned out to be our largest ever. We love that we had nearly 200 registrants. During the program, compliance executives from Fifth Third Bank and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office spoke on Medicaid fraud, sharing several specific case studies with participants. We love our seniors here in Ohio and are proud that many of our annual meeting’s attendees are working hard to help keep them safe.
We are now well into 2022, and we love that one of our founding sponsors, ARC Risk and Compliance, presented a webinar in February that provided insight on writing an effective Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering/Office of Foreign Assets Control risk assessment.
In addition to the May 2022 webinar, “Supervision and Enforcement for Blockchain,” the Central Ohio Chapter has planned a number of events for 2022 we believe you will love, including a panel session on career building for which a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) credit will be awarded. We also hope to return to in-person meetings in August!
Please continue to “like” us on social media and feel free to repost our LinkedIn messages. We would also love it if you joined our chapter. We continue in our committed relationship with our members to offer at least four credit-awarding meetings per year.
Fondly submitted,
Jennifer Morrison, chair, ACAMS Central Ohio Chapter, centralohiochapter@acams.org
