Celebrating the CBA Designation of Excellence

Behind every strong, resilient business are credit professionals making bold moves. They’re the ones turning risk into opportunity. Today, we celebrate the credit professionals who are making their mark—not only in their organizations, but across the entire credit community.

At NACM, we truly value and appreciate credit professionals who not only participate in our events but also actively contribute to the association and the broader credit community through their insights, expertise and engagement.

One exemplary credit professional we’d like to highlight is Tracy Mitchell, CBA, director of accounts receivable at Trinity Logistics (Seaford, DE). Mitchell is this year’s recipient of the CBA Designation of Excellence Award from NACM’s Honors and Awards Program, granted to credit professionals who have both attained the Credit Business Associate (CBA) and shown a commitment to excellence through continuous learning and sharing knowledge by speaking, teaching or mentoring.

Mitchell was both surprised and humbled by the award. “There’s a lot of great credit professionals out there, so it meant a lot to me to be recognized with this,” Mitchell said. “Pursuing my CBA started as a professional journey and after taking some classes, quickly became a personal journey of mine.”

Earning her CBA deepened Mitchell’s desire to grow as a credit professional—not just within her own industry, but across different sectors. “It gave me the chance to attend conferences, meet professionals from other industries and build lasting relationships,” Mitchell said. “Those experiences allowed me to share ideas, gain new insights and engage in conversations I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise.”

Mitchell credits her growth to key mentors early in her career, one being the company owner at the time, and the other her CFO, who invested in her development in different but equally meaningful ways. “Without both of them believing in me and choosing to invest their time and energy, I honestly don’t think I’d be where I am today,” she said.

Being part of NACM Southwest and the Transportation Revenue Management Group (TRMG) has provided her opportunities to take on more leadership roles, including a recent position as Chair of the NTC board. “I truly believe that without pursuing designations, getting involved and connecting with the NACM community, those opportunities wouldn’t have come my way,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell hopes to continue to earn more designations through NACM and FCIB’s Professional Certification Program. “My biggest motivation is the people who invested in me and made sure that I was learning and growing,” Mitchell said. “It’s only right that I continue on my path so I can pass that knowledge down to my team and encourage them just as I was encouraged.”