During the past several months, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world came as close to a near-standstill as we are ever likely to see. Then, clear incidents of police brutality and injustice drove our nation to protests, and in many cases violence, in all 50 states. At just a little more than halfway through the year, 2020 has already been a year of personal, economic and political turmoil. To help private lenders navigate the health crisis, we launched our public COVID-19 resource page at aaplonline.com/covid19. As we slowly bring the “crisis” part of COVID-19 to a close, it is now time to look toward rebuilding. This issue features a special section on page 48 about how we not only put the crisis behind us, but what we can take away from it to make us better and stronger.

Our response to the inequality throughout our nation was less of a clear path. Although our association mandate is to support the private lending industry, at what point must organizations look beyond to support something larger? Equality is not a political issue. It is a human right. Find our statement on page 85. Although the protests may be drawing to a close in the near future, the issue is one we will struggle with for years.

For our pillars of Education, Advocacy and Ethics, here is your association update:

Education // Our annual conference may look a little different this year as we navigate guidelines and work closely with Caesars Palace Las Vegas to ensure the health of all attendees. But, we are still set to host the nation’s largest private lending event on Nov. 15-17, alongside new virtual attendance capabilities. For details, check out our newly launched mini-site at aaplonline.com/conference.

Advocacy // Although the closure of government offices and focus on COVID-19
stalled most legislative matters, we did submit a letter of support for the SEC’s
proposed update to the definition of an accredited investor. Find out how this may change your private lending business—and read the full letter—on page 32.

Ethics // You probably have seen our Code of Ethics (aaplonline.com/ethics)—all
AAPL members pledge to follow it and face consequences if they do not. But how
should lenders ensure they adhere to best practices? It’s easy to unintentionally fall
into unethical actions like redlining just by virtue of how your loan underwriting and requirements are structured. The intent may not be there, but the outcome is the same. Read on for this issue’s focus on redlining on page 36.

 Linda Hyde
Managing Director, American Association of Private Lenders