NAFA CEO Phil Russo, CAE: Important News About the Future Of NAFA

As you likely know, NAFA is a not-for-profit association. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service granted NAFA its tax-exempt status in 1957 to allow us to serve the common good by educating and informing constituents about the fleet management profession.

As a not-for-profit group, NAFA’s leadership is comprised of volunteers, not paid staff. In fact, NAFA’s strategic direction, all of our programs and services, and even the budget, are all approved by the volunteer Board of Trustees, which is similar to the board of directors at companies, or a city council in government operations.

The NAFA Board of Trustees has responsibility for ensuring the success and viability of the Association, now and into the future. As part of that duty, the Board regularly scans the environment to assess the impact of changes internally – for example, in the fleet industry – and externally -- in society or in business, on the Association.

The latest such environmental scan led to significant conversations about the role of NAFA’s Affiliates, both those who perform fleet management tasks on an outsourced basis, and those who sell products or services to fleet managers. This conversation brought to light the strong sense of exclusion that many Affiliates feel toward NAFA.

The scan also made the Board of Trustees acutely aware of significant generational changes between fleet managers. Not only is the typical NAFA member aging and retiring, but the incoming professionals taking their places have different preferred means of learning, communication, and, most importantly, being engaged with the Association.

For instance, we all probably know that these new professionals have a greater preference for virtual engagement – webinars and Skype meetings for example. But that does not mean they do not want to be involved. Their preference for involvement is for impactful, but less time-consuming, commitments to causes in which they believe, such as involvement in a professional association like NAFA.

This evolution, and others like them, are normal and typical in the lifecycle of every association. But change is necessary for NAFA in order to remain relevant and generate the next cycle of success for NAFA.

The NAFA Code of Regulations, or bylaws, is the governing document that specifies membership criteria, the Board’s form and function, and other important foundational aspects of the association. NAFA’s bylaws have remained almost entirely the same since NAFA’s inception in 1957, nearly 60 years ago. Clearly, much has changed since that time.

Couple those massive changes with the findings from our recent scans, and I think you can begin to understand why the Board of Trustees is considering an extensive revision of the Association’s bylaws. The Board knows that NAFA needs to change to keep pace with, and, ultimately, stay ahead of the forces impacting the fleet profession.

For instance,

• It is clear to the Board that NAFA needs to expand membership and leadership opportunities for Affiliates to level the playing field for these valued supplier partners. At the same time, NAFA must implement safeguards to ensure the association is always an organization dedicated to fleet management professionals.
• It is also clear that NAFA needs to extend its reach to non-traditional fleet segments, such as those involved in risk management, or sourcing, to enable continued growth.
• It is also clear that NAFA must expand engagement opportunities for everyone so we can enlarge the pool of candidates from which national leaders are selected.
• With that, NAFA must develop a process that requires less long-term commitment to move up the national leadership ladder.

These changes, if implemented, would be monumental for NAFA. The dawning of a new age for the Association, if you will. I’m sure a great many of you will say, as the Board has said, that it’s about time. But there are, I’m sure, many of you that will have questions about these changes, and rightly so.

Over the next few weeks and months, NAFA will host webinars explaining the changes being proposed, and answering your questions. The first of these webinars is Friday, April 8, at 1 pm Eastern Time. Please check your emails from NAFA, or visit www.nafa.org, for details on how to register for this free event.

NAFA leaders will also be available during the closing day breakfast at this year’s Institute & Expo in Austin, Texas to answer questions. And, throughout the coming months, I and other NAFA leaders will be visiting NAFA chapters to talk about this in person.

Rest assured, there will be ample time and means for you to voice your thoughts and ask your questions. We are, after all, still in the information-gathering stage of this process. Nothing has been decided and nothing is changing just yet. But it is important for us to begin this conversation now.

I encourage you to participate in the discussion over the next few months. This is, after all, your association and you should help shape its future.

Sincerely,

Phil

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