October/November 2003

Dear AIRA Members:

I’ve just returned from the AIRA’s Plan of Reorganization Conference. Hosted at the Ernst & Young Conference Center on Monday, September 29th, and with sponsorship from Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC, Kaye Scholer LLP, and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, the conference was a tremendous success with approximately 100 attendees. Alan Holtz did a spectacular job putting together the program and seeing it through to its successful conclusion. Thank you for the effort, Alan.

Interest in the CIRA program continues to grow as demonstrated by the increasing course enrollments. The registration for the October-November New York City sessions is at capacity. The AIRA is exploring the feasibility of additional sessions in New York during the latter part of November, December, and January. Anyone on the waiting list for the October-November sessions, or interested in additional sessions in New York, should monitor the AIRA website at www.airacira.org. The website also has details on the current schedule of sessions in Los Angeles and Chicago for early next year.

Planning is now underway for the AIRA’s 20th Annual Conference. The Conference will take place at the new Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas from June 23 to 26, 2004. Anyone with an interest in participating with the Conference Organizing Committee should contact Beverly Huard at bhuard@airacira.org.

Very truly yours,
Jim Lukenda

Jim is a founding Managing Director of Huron Consulting Group’s Corporate Advisory Services practice specializing in corporate turnaround situations, loan workouts and bankruptcy. Over his 24-year career he has worked in a variety of industries and assisted clients ranging from small privately held businesses to large multinational corporations. Since 1989, Jim has worked exclusively with clients in matters related to distressed operating situations including assistance with operations assessment, debt restructurings, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, fraud investigations and other financial consulting, litigation, and workout assignments. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor (CIRA). He is a past director of INSOL, the international organization of insolvency professionals, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Jim also serves as the treasurer for Adoptive Parents Committee-New Jersey, an adoptive parents advocacy and education organization.