Speakers

Dave Baker is a senior leader in the repossession and remarketing industry with more than 15 years of experience across compliance, investigations, operations, and business development. He has held executive roles including Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and in October 2025 was selected by OpenLane to lead PAR North America, where he is focused on growing the business, expanding availability, and building on the PAR brand’s long history of success. Dave brings deep regulatory and operational experience shaped by executive leadership roles and a 20+ year law enforcement career, culminating as Chief of Police. He holds degrees in Administration of Justice and Criminal Justice Administration, along with a certification in Human Resources Management.

Lew Bronstein, an exceptional entrepreneur since the age of 18, is the founder of Bronstein Auction Company and has dedicated over 30 years to the auction industry. Throughout his extensive career, Lew has conducted prestigious auto auctions, including collaborations with several major auto auction companies and the General Services Administration (GSA).

In addition to his auction success, Lew is the visionary behind XLR8 Life University, an institution committed to fostering personal growth through self-education courses and life coaching. Here, Lew inspires others to harness their potential and cultivate a life of continuous learning.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Lew cherishes his role as a father and embraces life with enthusiasm as an avid Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) competitor. With an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, Lew remains committed to personal and professional growth.

James Cargo brings over 20 years of experience in business relations and currently serves as Vendor Relations Manager at Resolution Management Group. With more than a decade in the repossession industry, he specializes in building strong, honest, and mutually beneficial relationships with agents and partners.

James is also an active member of Veteran Builders of Venice, a volunteer group that improves home accessibility for disabled U.S. veterans in South Central Florida. Additionally, he is a licensed Independent Insurance Adjuster in Florida and has supported recovery efforts following Hurricanes Ian, Debbie, Helene, and Milton.

James enjoys a quiet life on Florida’s Gulf Coast with his wife of 15 years and their two daughters.

In 1998, Todd Case began a career in Law Enforcement that spanned over 16 years. During his tenure as a police officer, Todd was assigned to several different units including Evidence Technician, Field Training Officer, K-9 and Criminal Interdiction. Todd was noted for having the largest cash seizure in Hamilton County, Indiana, and was also awarded the Police Medal of Valor after he saved a woman from drowning in a frozen retention pond.

In 2011, Todd and his wife, Darcy, purchased Indiana Recovery Services. Todd remained in law enforcement part time until he retired from law enforcement in 2014. Todd and Darcy grew the company from a one location, two trucks, and four employees, to 34 vehicles, more than 50 employees, and four locations, with coverage spanning two states.

Todd and Darcy live together in Carmel, Indiana with their three children, Stephen (26), Ethan (19), Adyson (17) and their German Shephard Jax.

Jeremy Cross is the owner and President of International Recovery Systems, a leading East Coast repossession services company. With over 15 years at the helm, he has grown the organization into one of the region’s largest, expanding into multiple new markets. Known for his strategic vision and operational expertise, Jeremy has successfully built a multi-market, multi-entity business model that includes logistics, leasing, and technology services tailored to the repossession industry. Jeremy is an active industry leader, serving on the ARA board and currently as its treasurer. He is deeply committed to empowering his team and fostering leadership within his organization, blending entrepreneurial drive with mentorship. Jeremy is a husband and father of two teenagers, balancing his professional success with family and personal pursuits.

Brennen Hamilton is the founder of Rapid Recovery Agency, Inc., established in 2007 as a one-person operation. Under his leadership, the agency has grown to more than 100 employees in five locations across Florida, one of the state’s largest repossession agencies. In 2019, after tracking key performance indicators in his own business became far too difficult, he set out to build a software tool to help. It worked so well that through dedication, hard work, and a lot of trial and error, he was able to share it with the industry. Insightt Basic was released in June 2023 and is revolutionizing how repossession businesses are tracking, collecting, and utilizing key metrics data to grow profitability.

Kiala Hanneman brings over 15 years of experience in the financial services sector to her current role as Senior Director of Loss Mitigation at Bridgecrest. With a strong specialization in auto finance, particularly in Loss Mitigation, Kiala has previously led teams at notable companies like Ally Financial, Capital One, Nissan Motor Corporation, and Uber. Her leadership roles have spanned repossession, collections, insurance, audit, compliance, and servicing operations.

Whitney Houston is a dedicated professional with a passion for family, baking, and crafting. As the team lead for RDN Customer Support, Whitney specializes in training both team members and users to effectively navigate and utilize the RDN system. Most recently, she led the initiative to develop and deliver updated training materials for the new RDN user interface, ensuring a smooth transition and enhanced user experience.

James McNeil is the CEO of DayBreak Metro Inc, which provides investigation, repossession, locksmithing, and transportation services from ten locations across California. He began his career as a repossessor with DigitalDog Auto Recovery, where he helped lead the company’s expansion to fourteen locations before serving as Executive Vice President. James later co-founded RepoRoute, a SaaS platform designed to enhance field intelligence, routing, and performance management for recovery professionals. Since acquiring DayBreak Metro in 2014, he has transformed it from a small local shop into a statewide leader with over 100 employees, ten storage facilities, and approximately 25,000 annual repossessions, achieving 42x revenue growth in just eleven years.

Patrick Newman co-chairs Bassford Remele’s Consumer Finance practice group. For more than a decade, Patrick has litigated cases all over the United States, including jury trials and successful appeals. He also counsels and advises members of the Accounts Recovery Management industry, including collection agencies, fintechs, online lenders, credit unions, repossession agents, and background screeners on compliance, regulatory, and outside general counsel engagements. Bassford’s Consumer Finance group is now a truly “one-stop shop” for litigation, compliance, regulatory, and transactional matters impacting these industry stakeholders.

Daniel Pabon co-founded Florida Repossession Agency (FRA) in 2016, transforming it into a trusted leader in asset recovery across Central Florida and Northern New Jersey. With nearly 25 years in the repossession industry, Daniel’s expertise spans compliance, operations, and client relations, with a proven track record of managing complex recoveries while maintaining professionalism and efficiency. In his role as Vice President, he focuses on strategic planning, team development, and innovative solutions, driving the agency’s growth and commitment to excellence in an ever-evolving industry.

Daniel Valdes is the Director of Redemptions & Repossessions at Ally Bank. He has been with Ally for eight years, following a 15-year tenure with TD Bank (formerly Chrysler Financial). He brings a total of 16 years of experience in the repossession industry. Originally from Miami, Florida, Daniel enjoys every aspect of this dynamic field. He believes the repossession industry is filled with some of the finest people in the world and is proud to be part of such a dedicated community.