I love this time of year—the leaves have turned, there’s a chill in the air, and thoughts begin to turn to the joy and celebration of the winter holidays. No matter your cultural background or traditions, it’s a season of family, faith, and festivity.

With Thanksgiving approaching, I enjoy taking some time to pause and reflect on the year past. It’s important to recognize and give thanks to the many people and organizations that have contributed to the growth and success of ORMS, LLC.

The late summer/early fall season is always a busy one in the industry, with a multitude of excellent conferences in beautiful locales. This year has been no different, and I feel privileged to have attended and/or participated in top-notch events such as the recent (and record-breaking) National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL) annual conference in San Diego, the National Association of Development Companies (NADCO) 2018 Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, and the America East Conference for SBA Lenders in Washington, D.C.

At ORMS, we value our involvement in these and other industry trade groups, such as the Risk Management Association (RMA), the Environmental Bankers Association (EBA), and Real Estate Finance Associates (REFA). We’ve had the opportunity to not only attend and speak at their events, but also to sit on several boards, helping to drive the direction of the environmental and property risk management industry toward a bright future. (For more on this topic, make sure to check out this recent blog post about my time spent on the board of the EBA.)

Our primary mission, of course, is to serve our clients in the financial services industry, many of whom have become our close personal friends. We share the same goals as the lenders we serve, which is to ultimately help small businesses obtain the necessary financing to run and grow their businesses— safely, securely, and efficiently. Thank you for your continued loyalty and patronage, and for your commitment to providing your clients with the outstanding service they deserve.

At ORMS, we are truly thankful for the bountiful harvest we have been given. On behalf of myself, Patrick, and the rest of our hard-working team, I wish you and your families a healthy, peaceful, and plentiful Thanksgiving.