Member Spotlight: Steps to Earn a CBA Designation

The Credit Business Associate (CBA) is an academic-based designation which entails the mastery of three business credit related disciplines: basic financial accounting, business credit principles and introductory financial statement analysis.

Bridget Bacle, CBA, senior customer outreach specialist at Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply (Phoenix, AZ) recently earned her CBA. When asked why, she said it was shortly after an evaluation of the credit department by her director of finance. "I previously worked for her in another company where we were both a part of NACM," Bacle said. "She knew of all the designations and certifications offered and made it a requirement for others to advance and apply for different positions within the credit department."

Bacle's designation journey was like going through memory lane. "I graduated with my B.S. in Accounting over 20 years ago," she said. With the help of Phyllis Thomas, certification program coordinator at NACM, Bacle received credit for two of the three courses required for the CBA, basic financial accounting and financial statement analysis. "I had already taken them in college," Bacle added. "For the CBA, I only had to take the business credit principles. But I reviewed the other two courses along the way."

But Bacle's greatest challenge was getting into a study habit after so long. "When I completed the paperwork, I created a schedule dedicated to reviewing the different courses leading up to the final exam," she said.

Bacle was very proud of herself considering her limited credit experience. "I haven't been in the credit part of accounting until seven years ago," she said. "But being able to listen, have an outline and read the material was the complete package. Toni Drake, CCE, president at TRM Financial Services, Inc. (Midland, TX), who commented on the audio recordings, was very knowledgeable on the topic."

As for new topics, Bacle learned more about international trade credit and what to think about to build an effective and efficient credit department. "I built a stronger foundation for my knowledge in credit and methods to make better credit decisions. I was able to take this information and use it on a day-to-day basis."

For more information about each designation within NACM's Professional Certification Program, visit our website.