CEO's Message—Third Quarter 2020

This CEO’s Message is a little unusual because I am using this platform to thank my incredible team at NACVA HQ. Last March, our world looked like it was falling apart. I am sure many of you felt the same way. What ensued after the nation-wide shutdown was at first panic, then a desperate scramble to evaluate, reorganize, assess, and re-think everything, followed up with a rough idea to implement a new plan going forward with the business of running an association. This plan was not cast in stone because we knew at the time that this new world we were now living in was just that, a new world, one that was still fluid and trying to find its footing.
 

At the time, hopeful thinking said, “six months, max, we will be back to normal”. But here we are, and right now I do not think anyone can predict when we will get back to normal, and many think (including me) that wherever we land after the Coronavirus is relegated to history, what is normal will be different from the normal we knew a mere six months ago.
 

To shore-up our business, we took many drastic measures early in the crisis (see Q1 2020 CEO’s Message). These actions have made a big difference and have kept NACVA solid and financially secure. But what has made the biggest difference is the awesome team we have at NACVA HQ. I will admit that when we made the move to relocate everyone to their home office, I thought we could quickly crumble. But just the opposite happened. I think each person on our team truly understood the gravity of what was going on in America (and throughout the World) and took more seriously than ever before the importance of the role they play in our organization, and more particularly, the importance of working as a team. Because teamwork was necessary to survive.
 

From my perspective, NACVA’s HQ team has never performed better and has set a higher bar for us to perform in the future, and a bar to which other organizations should aspire. I can only hope that many of you have seen similar results with your team.
 

I was compelled to write this CEO’s Message of thanks for a couple reasons. One, I am so proud of my team I want to brag to the world how great they are. Two, I have been so, so busy these last six months and so consumed in my own work, I have neglected to express my thanks to each and every one of my staff who I appreciate deeply and thank from the bottom of my heart.
 

They will see this message before our members do accompanied with bonuses and notice herein that I am reinstating certain employee benefits retroactive to last March.
 

I hope that with this message I have made up lost ground because this expression of my appreciation is long overdue.  Here is a list of each employee and their title (please do not hire any of them away from me):
 

Executive Management Support

BRIEN JONES, Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Development

JONATHAN JACKSON, Executive Director

MELISSA CARDWELL, Director of Project Management

KIRK BOWDEN, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager

LYNNE JOHNSON, Executive Editor/Management Assistant

CHANDA CHUON, Manager of Marketing Media and Strategic Partnerships

RYAN CHIDESTER, Executive Assistant to the COO/EVP

Member/Client Services

ANTHONY LOPEZ, MCS Senior Manager

MICHAEL DANIELS, MCS Relationship Consultant

PATRICK DAY, MCS Relationship Consultant

CAMBRIE KIDA, MCS Engagement and Event Specialist

Valuation Certification and Exam Administration

JACKSON CHAPMAN, Credentialing Coordinator

Education Development and Communication

DIANA RIDGEWAY, Director of Educational Enrichment

BRETT LOSEE, Director of Events

WENDY CAYIAS, Online Learning Coordinator

COLIN BROWN, Senior Manager, Innovation and Technology

Accounting

KIMBERLY  SMITH, Director of Accounting

JOSEPHINE VELASQUEZ, Systems and Process Manager

SARA RADICE, Accounting Assistant

STEVE MARSTON, Financial Assistant  to the CEO

Support Staff/Office Communications

EMILY WAGMAN, Office Administrator

MEGAN WRIGHT, Support Specialist

BRENDA LUCAS, Benefits Specialist

SHAUNA WILLIAMS, Support Specialist

Thank you,