NAFA Realigns HQ Staff To Meet Strategic Needs

On Tuesday, January 28, NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA) announced the creation of three new staff positions, as well as the realignment and retitling of many existing staff positions. The changes come after a year-long study of the staffing resources and capacity, and were made to allow the association to provide more and better service to its membership as envisioned in NAFA’s strategic plan.

The addition and realignment of resources was approved by NAFA’s Board of Trustees in October 2013. Since then, NAFA Executive Director Phillip E. Russo, CAE, has worked closely in consultation with NAFA President Claude Masters, CAFM; NAFA Legal Counsel Michael Deese; and Association Headquarters, Inc., a strategic consulting partner, to support and accelerate the implementation of NAFA’s vision and ensure full and proper implementation of this plan.

"For several years, NAFA has had a very aggressive strategic plan that called for the creation of many new programs, as well as the expansion of existing programs," Russo said. "During that same time, NAFA has experienced a shift in volunteer capacity, resulting in the need to add staff and contractors to complete work projects. The addition of new staff members, as well as the realignment of existing positions, puts all the right people in the right seats to help NAFA realize its goals, objectives, and vision."

The realignment includes eliminating the Deputy Executive Director position and creating three new positions: Chief Operations Officer; Senior Manager - Membership Experience; and Member & Chapter Liaison. Russo has secured personnel for the three new positions.

Coming on-board as Chief Operations Officer to handle the day-to-day operational oversight and direction of the Association will be James Marks, CAE. Jim is the former CEO of the CPCU Society where he was a proven leader and world-class communicator with a consistent record of successful strategic and tactical accomplishments at the domestic and international levels. At CPCU, Jim developed every facet of the association’s brand and created a CPCU Society experience that grew membership from 14,000 to almost 30,000. Customer and mission driven; committed to transparency, clear, open, compelling communication; and skilled at establishing productive relationships, Jim came out of retirement when presented with the opportunity at NAFA.

Christine Hamershock, who has been NAFA’s Senior Marketing Manager for the past two years, fills the newly-created position of Senior Manager – Member Experience. Hamershock now leads a team of staff members whose primary roles will be to listen and respond to current and prospective Members and Affiliates and secure their membership and involvement in the Association; and support NAFA’s chapters to ensure a consistently high level of service from every Chapter to their Members and Affiliates.

Scott Groves joins Hamershock in the "Member Experience" department in the newly-created position of Member & Chapter Liaison. Groves is intimately familiar with NAFA, having served as the lead sales rep for the Association’s annual Institute and Expo (I&E) since 2008. His new role expands his involvement with NAFA to daily interaction with Members and Affiliates to ensure their complete satisfaction with all of the association’s programs.

NAFA has begun a search to fill Hamershock’s former position, now titled Senior Manager – Marketing & Communications. The position will be responsible for developing and implementing marketing and communications strategies for NAFA’s many programs, such as the annual I&E, educational seminars, websites, FleetED, and Beyond Fleet program.

In other changes:

Joanne Marsh, NAFA’s Director of Marketing & Communications, assumes the new role of Director – Member Experience.

Matthew Marcial, CMP, NAFA’s Director of Meetings & Education, is now Director – Professional Development.

Gary Wien, former Communications Manager/Editor, is now Public Relations Manager/Editor.

Richard Kadash, former Accounting Manager, is now Accounting & Office Manager.

Kate Shelko, former Education Assistant, is now Education & Certification Assistant.

Donald Dunphy has added responsibility for overseeing all of NAFA’s social media efforts.