Perseverance and achievement: Holly Krein’s inspiring journey to earning her CBA 

Credit professionals who earn designations from NACM’s and FCIB’s six-level Professional Certification Programs always have an inspiring story to tell. Their enthusiasm and sense of accomplishment is evident as they speak of their designation journey. Each designee leaves with a higher level of knowledge and insight to guide them and help them grow in their career. 

Holly Krein, CBA, regional credit manager at Stoneway Electric Supply (Spokane, WA), noticed this too after hearing about the professional designation about 30 years ago. “I wanted to earn my Credit Business Associate (CBA) as a new credit person at the time and thought it would be a great goal to achieve.” 

The CBA is an academic-based designation which signals mastery of three business-credit related disciplines: Basic Financial Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis I and Business Credit Principles. 

Five years after that moment, Krein began her CBA journey. But as life often does, it got in the way. After being diagnosed with cancer, she missed her exam and went on to recover for many years. As of today, Krein is nine years cancer free and received her CBA in October. “It feels great to have accomplished it as it’s been 25 years in the making! I learned I am tenacious and determined, and no matter what life throws at me, I will stay on track and meet my goals…no matter how many decades it takes me!”  

Krein is already working on earning her CBF designation. “I would like to thank my supervisor, Julie Demakis, CBF, CCRA, for being such a supporting force in me achieving my goals and getting my CBA,” she said. “I’d like to also make a shout out to Daisy Smith and Greg Garner for supporting our team and our career development. Also, I appreciate all the guidance and assistance I have received from NACM over the years, it’s been extremely helpful.” 

✏️Study Tips: In the weeks leading up to the exam, schedule study sessions with classmates to better retain the material. Krein set up weekly exam review meetings with two coworkers who were also going to take their CBA exam. “We started off easy, gradually increasing the study time until we were studying every night,” Krein said.  

Create a group chat to present any questions or specific topics to help you study. “We would answer questions, give study tips and review homework from the classes in our group chat,” Krein said. “We’d also use it to review our answers in our practice exams and where to find them in the textbooks. I advise anyone earning their professional designation to stay positive, get rest and gradually increase their study load.” 

For more information about each designation within NACM’s and FCIB’s Professional Certification Programs, visit our website.