My Journey as a NAPFA Volunteer

By Jeff Jones, NAPFA Chair

My seven years as a NAPFA volunteer have been amazing. Why do I share my story? Because I want you to volunteer. I want you to have the experience I’ve so enjoyed. I want you to take part in moving financial planning from the shadows into a widely accepted profession. I can’t say this enough. It’s worth it.

Board Membership at the Regional and National Levels

I began my journey as a NAPFA volunteer in 2016 when I joined NAPFA’s South Region Board. I vividly recall walking into my first Summer Leadership Meeting—a multiday annual meeting of NAPFA’s regional, Genesis, and committee leaders, as well as national board members—in July of that year. I was blown away by the intensity of my feeling that I’d “found my people,” something I’d first experienced at my first South Region Symposium. I knew I’d found my volunteer passion.

After that, I spent three years on the regional board. When my term was ending, my attention was drawn to the impending update of NAPFA’s strategic framework. The framework is NAPFA’s North Star. It identifies the pillars on which we build; the mission, vision, and goals for the next three to five years; and the metrics by which we measure success. I wanted to be a part of that. I applied and was accepted onto the national NAPFA Board of Directors.

Then, Covid-19 hit. Pivoting was necessary. The shutdown forced NAPFA to delay the next framework update, instead focusing on ensuring the association was fundamentally and financially sound throughout. It turned out that we absolutely were.

In 2021, the board finally tackled the framework. We spent the better part of a year updating, reorganizing, and improving it. The new framework was approved in the fall of 2022, and NAPFA had its new North Star.

My Time as NAPFA Chair

I began serving as the chair of NAPFA’s national board on Sept. 1, 2022. It has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding volunteer roles I’ve ever had. On Sept. 1, 2023, as the immediate past chair, I’ll begin my eighth straight year of service. It will be my last volunteer role for a while. Sometimes, you just need to rest.

I want to end my last “From the Chair” column by saying, “Thank you.” Thank you to the countless volunteers and leaders both today and over the past 40 years who brought us to where we are. Thank you to our partners and allies during this journey. Thank you to our past and current CEOs for their efforts. Thank you to the staff members who commit daily to bringing our ideas to life.

I love this association. I love what it stands for. I’ve loved my time in my volunteer roles. So my final thank you goes out to you. Thank you for being here. I can’t imagine better company.

Cheers until next time!