Change is never easy, and as Gil Atkinson’s said, “Change is inevitable. It’s the direction that counts.” As we are already through the first quarter of 2020, it’s hard to believe we have experienced this much change. Starting in 2020, the traditional locals evolved into some Affiliates and some into Chapters. Things continue to change and move forward. These are new times for NAIFA-Iowa. Exciting times!
NAIFA-Iowa continues to adopt and embrace technology. NAIFA’s leadership
is adopting Zoom as a way to conduct business, which has proven to be very beneficial during these times of COVID-19. Another very exciting new program in Iowa
is the new Member Incentive Program. This is a way for all members, Affiliates and
Chapters to get involved and win together. For the greater good of the members,
Affiliates and Chapters, NAIFA-Iowa is fully embracing change and evolving.
Starting in 2019, NAIFA-Iowa started to change how the Affiliates and Chapters
were structured. Many of the local chapters moved to an Affiliate status,
meaning they have chosen to accept the state to provide more support than
before. The state now helps Affiliates with event marketing and general support. The
Affiliates retain control of their money, as they did before the change. The state
now also supports the Affiliates with money tracking and accounting. Iowa has
two Chapters, Quad Cities and Eastern Iowa. They are doing well and are having
tremendous success under the new structure.
Two months ago not everyone knew what Zoom was. Today, Zoom has become a
household name. NAIFA and NAIFA-Iowa have fully embraced the Zoom technology
for meetings and virtual events as a more efficient form of communication.
Zoom allows NAIFA to provide top tier programing to our members with the
luxury of watching from your office, home or watch party. Zoom and NAIFA Live
have been very instrumental during the COVID-19 times to still provide quality
programing and CECs across the state.
Technology has played a major role for the beginning of 2020, and we still know
one of the best attributes for NAIFA-Iowa members is the face to face fellowship.
What is the new Member Incentive Program? It is an exciting and maybe even
a revolutionary change to the way NAIFA-Iowa, members, Affiliates and Chapters
work together. The state has created a plan to empower the members, Affiliates
and Chapters to make money. NAIFA-Iowa will write a check or provide credit for
doing a variety of different activities, such as recruiting a new member, taking LILI
or attending Day on the Hill, just to name a few. I envision the Member Incentive
Program as a Win/Win/Win! The members win, the Affiliate/Chapter wins and the
state wins. We can all work together for the overall success of NAIFA-Iowa
collectively.
Exciting things are happening with NAIFA-Iowa, our members, our Affiliates and our Chapters and I am proud of all the success we are having. The future is bright, we are embracing change to evolve and succeed!
Advocate, Educate, Differentiate!