Chapter Spotlight: NAFA's New Jersey Chapter 2011 Holiday Meeting
Convening at Maggianos Restaurant (Hackensack, on December 13), NAFA's New Jersey chapter mixed things up with presentations, predictions, and pasta. The event began with a collection for Toys for Tots and donations for food banks. The food products, all non-perishable items, were destined to go to church outreach food banks, said NJ Chair Donna Bibbo, Novo Nordisk, Inc.
Vice Chair, Kristin Leary, Mars provided an assortment of chocolates for the occasion. As Members and Affiliates filed in to the meeting room, Bibbo reminded attendees that elections were coming up and anyone with an interest in adding their name or playing a larger role in the New Jersey chapter’s governance should begin to finalize their considerations.
After that, NAFA’s Deputy Executive Director Patrick McCarren presented a rundown of things NAFA as an organization accomplished in 2011 and was preparing to do in 2012. Bullet points he addressed were NAFA’s increased commitment to its social media connections, the upcoming Institute & Expo in St. Louis, MO, the full slate of Fleet Management Seminars (including an emphasis on NAFA’s trans-national efforts), and the strong and steady growth of the CAFM/CAFS certification programs, just to name a few.
Communications Assistant Donald Dunphy showed off an Association initiative that is certain to become a major aspect of NAFA not only in 2012 but in years to come. While not being able to divulge too much information at one setting, Dunphy nonetheless introduced key aspects of a program titled Beyond Fleet. The full details of this effort are expected to be revealed throughout the first quarter of 2012, as well as at the I&E in St. Louis, MO in April. The New Jersey branch is officially the first chapter meeting introduced to the Beyond Fleet effort.
Attendees were treated to an appetizer course of stuffed mushrooms, Italian sausage and peppers, and salad. After that, it was chicken and spinach manicotti, braised beef and papardelli, and linguini with shrimp.
Thanks to the generosity of several of the Affiliates a wide variety of items were given away in a raffle, and an autographed replica helmet signed by Darrelle Revis, Cornerback of the New York Jets, was offered in a silent auction.
So what do your chapter meetings and events look like? Send them to FleetFOCUS with a rundown of your meeting's minutes, presentations, and any informative and fun things that happened along the way, and you can be the next in our Chapter Spotlight!
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