NAFA Executive Director Phil Russo, CAE: Still Busy
August is upon us, and that usually means a few specific things to me. One of them is the ever-present reminder that the summer is half over and we're well into the second half of the year. Another is that August is traditionally known as "the dog days of summer," which kicks up the anxiety as the Fahrenheit (or for our global fleet members, Celsius) notches higher. Although my hopes are extremely high that they will rise above their long-held reputations, my beloved New York Mets tend to collapse like a house of cards pulling into the end of the baseball season (don't get me started on that).
One thing remains consistent during August, and just about every other month, at NAFA. We're always working to provide the best services, education, and opportunities for the fleet industry year-round, even when I choose to take a week's vacation. Indulge me for a moment so I can point out some of the projects we're currently working on.
NAFA's CAFM Boot Camps are the best way for people enrolled in the CAFM program to take the leap from knowing information to really understanding and integrating it into their work-life. I've been told again and again by people that these courses have been instrumental to their personal achievement. But at the same time, I've also been told that there are potential students who just can't make it to these events. Aside from this year's CAFM Boot Camp at the I&E in Atlantic City, NJ we have two coming up: September 17-19, at the Westin Wall Centre (Vancouver Airport), Vancouver, Canada; and on October 25-27 at Loews Ventana Canyon in Tucson, AZ.
Recognizing that even these options may not be flexible enough for some of our members, our CAFM Boot Camp is hitting the road and will be available to organizations for just one licensing fee. Chapters can option a CAFM Boot Camp event to drive attendance. Companies and organizations can leverage the educational benefits of the CAFM Boot Camp in ways that would have not been feasible otherwise. It's a proactive solution for CAFM students who, because of distance constraints, couldn't otherwise attend.
Another event being made available as a "roadshow" is our Fleet Management Seminar, the most complete starter education out there for professionals new to fleet. It will come as no surprise to some that fleet duties are quite often inherited by managers within their companies, and having those responsibilites given over can feel like being thrown into the deep end of the pool. The FMS gives them the tools and basics of fleet's eight disciplines to succeed. It's also a great chance for established fleet professionals to reacquaint themselves with the industry standards and learn about what's new in fleet.
Just like the CAFM Boot Camp, companies and chapters can request setting up a seminar of their own for one licensing fee. We're also holding our traditional FMS this October 21-23, at Loews Ventana Canyon in Tucson, AZ.
Then there is NAFA's International Fleet Academy, October 21- 23, at the Loews Ventana Canyon hotel in Tucson, AZ; the premier industry event for fleet professionals wanting to learn the intricacies of developing and implementing fleet policies across the globe. This is NAFA's third global fleet event, but in a sense this year's has been three years in the making. We've taken all the feedback from our previous international fleet efforts and integrated them into this year's conference. It is that communication between NAFA and the expressed wants and needs of NAFA's membership that has me convinced this education event is unmatched in the industry. NAFA intends to provide all that you have been looking for in this growing market strictly because you've been letting us know what you want.
So, even as people make their way out across the country for summer vacations, we're still busy at headquarters making certain that we're providing our best for NAFA membership -- and I haven't even brought up our preliminary work for the 2014 I&E in Minneapolis, MN, but that will need to wait for a column all its own. Suffice it to say we'll be hard at work up to and during the World Series, whether the Mets make it or not. We hope you'll be right alongside as we go. It is the loyalty and confidence of NAFA Members and Affiliates that make us what we are today.
Now go get out in the sun for a while!
Sincerely,
Phil