Commercial Receivers Association (CRA) Expands its Reach to Indiana and Oregon with Announcement of New State Directors – Kevin Hamernik and Gene Buccola

(ST. LOUIS, MO) April 23, 2024 – The Commercial Receivers Association (CRA), a national membership organization focused on empowering the education and standardization of Commercial Receivership Administration, is expanding its reach to include Indiana and Oregon. The Association is proud to welcome into the State Director fold Kevin Hamernik, Partner at FORVIS in Indianapolis, and Gene Buccola, CEO of High Plateau Capital in Bend.

Mr. Hamernik, a partner at FORVIS, is a CPA and Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor bringing more than 25 years of experience to the CRA Indiana State Director role. His portfolio of work includes restructurings and turnarounds, financial and strategic consulting, special situations practices, bankruptcy work, financial due diligence and transaction support, debt and capital transactions and originations, forensic accounting, and litigation support. Mr. Hamernik has served as a CRO in and out of court and as a receiver and Chapter 11 Trustee. When asked why he joined CRA as part of its initial membership and what he gets from the association, Mr. Hamernik responded, “I immediately recognized the value that this organization was going to serve in the marketplace, for both professionals engaged in receiverships and those using receiverships to resolve disputes. The individuals within the membership are very solid, the educational opportunities are solid, and the group composition is intimate and willing to value share with one another to elevate practices.”

Like Mr. Hamernik, Mr. Buccola has decades of experience to offer as the new State Director of Oregon. He is a visionary investor in, and manager of, high performing companies in the fields of real estate, aviation, alternative energy, construction, interior design, and technology. In addition, he has a strong track record of success in the fields of commercial real estate repositioning, private equity investing and commercial property management services. Mr. Buccola noted, “I’m honored to be associated with The CRA as we bring our collective knowledge, professionalism, and resources to the Pacific Northwest.”

“We’ve had the good fortune of getting to know Kevin and Gene over the past year and their engagement with the CRA made them fantastic choices for State Director roles. As the Association continues to grow, we recognize that they will play a critical role in that growth beyond just networking within their states, but engaging a national presence that enhances the role of commercial receivership,” said CRA Board Member Eric Moraczewski of NMBL Strategies.

The CRA is poised to have another strong year after the success of 2023. Last year, the Association grew by significant measure. In addition to expanding membership, CRA produced well-attended webinars which provided significant value to members nationally. The annual conference, the first to be held in person, enjoyed outstanding attendance with professionals hailing from twenty-six states. Additionally, in 2023, the CRA began co-hosting events with state chapters of the Turnaround Management Association and State Bankers Associations. In 2024, the CRA looks to expand its value-producing initiatives including several new state launches, recently launching in North Carolina, Alabama and Louisiana and upcoming launches in Kentucky and Indiana this week. In addition, the annual conference will be held in Florida August 18-21, 2024. For more information about CRA or to become a member, please visit www.commercialreceiver.org.

About The Commercial Receivers Association:

Established in 2021, the Commercial Receivers Association is a national membership organization focused on Empowering the Education and Standardization of Commercial Receivership Administration while providing education, networking and practical resources for our members. For more information, please contact [email protected] or go to www.commercialreceiver.org.