Since its inception, the ACAMS Greater Philadelphia Chapter has been serving its members in this diverse and emerging marketplace. The Greater Philadelphia area is known for its historically rich heritage but is also noted for being one of the leading financial centers in the country, with a diverse set of employers in both the public and private sectors. The chapter board looks to constantly serve its members by providing dynamic, emerging and engaging content through a combination of learning events and networking functions. These learning events run through the spectrum of topics which include investigations (e.g., terrorist financing, human trafficking), regulatory impacts (e.g., Anti-Money Laundering Act, customer due diligence), emerging risks (e.g., crypto, marijuana-related businesses), technology (e.g., best practices) and sanctions (e.g., the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine). While the chapter board has delivered a diverse set of programming, flexibility and adaptability have been instrumental, especially throughout the pandemic.
The Greater Philadelphia Chapter has recently reached another milestone in its history by recently hosting its first in-person event since the pandemic. In fact, it had been over 1,000 days since members had seen each other face-to-face! In late July, over 25 members came together to take a break from Zoom and webinars to meet and mingle in person. The event started off with members rekindling old relationships or creating new ones and then transitioned into an informal roundtable. The group discussed several topics, which included how everyone navigated through the pandemic, which naturally transitioned into the differences in everyone’s “new normal” in the “return to the office.” The group then discussed the anti-money laundering (AML) job market and changes in the industry. Overall, everyone who attended enjoyed the opportunity to connect, network and interact in person.
The ACAMS Greater Philadelphia Chapter Board is looking forward to providing in-person learning events going forward so our members can enjoy the benefits of such as we navigate in the “new normal.” The chapter board is also calling on participation from all existing members and non-members. Do you currently live in the Greater Philadelphia region and are interested in connecting with your peers, learning more about how changes in the AML industry affect us locally and staying on top of emerging trends? If so, we encourage you to register as a member today! If you are interested, please contact acamsphilly@gmail.com.
The chapter board currently consists of Rochelle Castagna (co-chair), Kevin Toth (co-chair), Kathy Wong (co-treasurer), Julie Hearn-Nicely (co-treasurer), Arpita McGrath (co-communications director), Nat Bosco (co-programming director), Shannon Kustra (co-secretary), Courtney Zeppenfelt (co-secretary), Theresa Donnelly-Staerk (co-membership director) and Zack Byrne (co-membership director).
Kevin Toth and Rochelle Castagna, co-chairs, ACAMS Greater Philadelphia Chapter, acamsphilly@gmail.com
