As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the NAFA Board of Trustees is proposing some monumental changes for NAFA. Chief among those changes is the expansion of membership and leadership opportunities for Affiliates to level the playing field for these valued supplier partners.
For some time now, Affiliates have voiced that they feel like "second class citizens" in NAFA. NAFA depends on Affiliates for funding and expertise, but their ability to fully participate in the leadership of the Association has been limited. Sure, NAFA is an association dedicated to fleet management professionals – those who practice the art of fleet management – but we would not exist without the support of Affiliates in nearly every program we offer. (See the second part of this column for clear examples of the importance of Affiliates to NAFA.)
It is time to give NAFA Affiliates a louder voice and a greater say in NAFA’s future.
Rest assured, NAFA will not be "overrun" or "taken over" by Affiliates, as I’ve heard a few times since we announced the proposed changes in March. And, by the way, when I say "a few times" I mean literally a few, like two or three times. The overwhelming majority of the response to the changes has been extremely favorable, with most saying it’s about time we did this!
If the bylaws changes are approved, Affiliates (who will be then called Associate Members) will only be allowed to hold a maximum of 5 of the 13 seats on the new Board of Directors. This provides that fleet managers on the Board will always have a majority vote.
As a second safeguard to ensure NAFA is always run by fleet managers, under the proposed changes the new Associate Members (our current Affiliates) would be prohibited from ever becoming NAFA President or Senior Vice President.
Even with those parameters, the changes being proposed are monumental for NAFA. From my insider perspective, though, the changes are not only long overdue, but necessary for NAFA to survive and thrive in the future. That is why I encourage you to vote "for" the changes when the vote is placed before you later this year.
For more information about the proposed changes, please watch our very good webinar at: http://www.nafa.org/about-nafa/bylaws-2016.
The Importance of Affiliates to NAFA - NAFA recently welcomed Bob Martines, President of Corporate Claims Management, to the Board of Trustees as the Affiliate Trustee. In this position, Bob is currently the one and only Affiliate in NAFA, out of more than 1,100 Affiliates, who has a vote in anything NAFA does. Clearly, this is not an inclusive arrangement, especially when you consider how much NAFA depends on Affiliates for its success.
From a purely financial standpoint, more than 50 percent of NAFA’s total revenue each year is derived from our Annual Institute & Expo (I&E), which is heavily supported by Affiliates. About 70 percent of the I&E revenue comes from Affiliates in the form of payments for exhibit space, sponsorship items, registrations, and marketing opportunities. Yes, Affiliates come to I&E because it is the biggest and best collection of fleet managers with whom Affiliates do business, and NAFA is making sure Affiliates’ derive great value from I&E to ensure they keep coming back. But with such a large stake in NAFA, it is important that Affiliates become a larger part of the decision-making process.
From a membership standpoint, Affiliates and the sub-category Regional Affiliates, comprise nearly one-third of NAFA’s total membership. As with the I&E, Affiliates join NAFA because it is the biggest and best collection of fleet managers with whom Affiliates do business, and we will make sure both the Member and Affiliate segments of NAFA continue to grow. But NAFA’s current leadership structure does not allow this significant portion of our membership to be involved in decision-making on the highest levels.
From an involvement perspective, Affiliates have a hand in nearly every program NAFA offers. Long ago, NAFA instituted a policy that permits Affiliates to serve as Vice Chairs of our national committees. These committees lead our efforts related to our sustainable accreditation program, certification programs, magazine articles, educational offerings, government affairs activities, membership recruitment efforts, and safety initiatives. In addition to helping lead these committees, Affiliates serve as members on nearly all of these committees but, in many cases, are not permitted to ascend to the Chair position as that seat is reserved for fleet managers.
From a chapter perspective, I have heard all too often that many of NAFA’s chapters would not survive without the leadership, albeit mostly unsung, and support of our Affiliates. Not only do Affiliates serve as speakers at chapter meetings, but often they financially support chapter events, provide free meeting space, or pick up the meal tab. A few years back we allowed Affiliates to serve as Chapter Secretary and/or Treasurer and, interestingly, none of the chapters with Affiliates in these positions have been "taken over" by Affiliates.
Finally, take a look at the activity log for the national Affiliates Committee, which is the representative group for all Affiliates, to get a sense for how important Affiliates are to NAFA. The tasks they are working on include:
As I’ve said, the proposed bylaws changes for NAFA are long overdue, necessary for NAFA to survive and thrive, and about time. I encourage you to vote "for" the changes when the vote is placed before you later this year.
What are your thoughts?
Phil
NAFA Fleet Management Association
http://www.nafa.org/