Fleet suppliers gained equal footing with their fleet manager colleagues in NAFA when NAFA Members overwhelmingly approved changes to the Association’s bylaws, giving those suppliers the ability to vote and serve on the national board.
“This has been a long time coming,” said NAFA President Ruth Alfson, CAFM. “NAFA’s bylaws had remained virtually the same since the day NAFA was incorporated in 1957, so it is about time we recognized our Affiliates as the valued partners they are. Besides that, though, this is the right strategic move for NAFA to make.”
The bylaws changes were approved by a margin of nearly 15 to 1, with 93 percent of respondents voting in favor of the changes.
“The fact that the vote is so positively in favor of the changes emphasizes what the Board believed all along: that it’s about time we made these changes,” Alfson said. “I want to thank the Members for affirming the Board’s beliefs.”
The changes to NAFA’s bylaws are many, and groundbreaking.
For example, the changes:
• Redefine who qualifies as a Member and supplier, allowing any individual who manages a fleet, or whose job responsibilities include at least one of the core disciplines of fleet management (as defined by NAFA), regardless of the size of the fleet, to qualify for membership in a new membership category called “Regular Members.”
• Bestow voting rights to all Regular Members, Associate Members (formerly known as Affiliates), Honorary Members, and Retired Members.
• Enhance the composition of, as well as the election process to, the leadership board of NAFA. Now up to 5 of the 13 members of the Board can be Associate Members (Affiliates).
• Create a “Leadership Advisory Board” to help direct NAFA’s strategic efforts, taking the place of the former Board of Delegates and Board of Governors.
• Include a provision to allow some or all of the duties of the Secretary/Treasurer to be performed by NAFA’s professional staff.
• Designate the Immediate Past President as Chair of the Nominating Committee each year
NAFA Affiliates and Regional Affiliates are immediately entitled to all the new rights and privileges contained in the amendments. This includes the ability to be considered as a candidate for the new Board of Directors. However, due to the number and complexity of updates required to NAFA’s databases and websites, NAFA will continue to use the current membership category labels of “Full Member,” “Associate Member,” “Affiliate,” “Regional Affiliate,” and “Alumni” until May 2017.
In addition to the immediate bestowal of new rights and privileges on Affiliates and Regional Affiliates, later this month a nominating committee will be formed under the new structure spelled out in the revised bylaws. The Nominating Committee will be charged with selecting candidates for 4 vacant seats on the Board of Directors. After formation of the Nominating Committee, NAFA will announce the list of desired qualifications, skills, and attributes of candidates to fill the vacant Board seats. In addition to the Nominating Committee actively seeking candidates, eligible individuals will have the ability to place their names before the Committee for its consideration.
The Nominating Committee will present its recommended candidates for election by mid-November. Individuals not selected by the Nominating Committee will be included on the ballot if they submit the appropriate number of valid signatures from NAFA members attesting to their desire to have the individual’s name on the ballot.
The election to the Board of Directors will take place in January 2017, and the new Board of Directors will take office in February 2017. The Board of Directors will elect from itself a new NAFA President, Senior Vice President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer, while the sitting NAFA President will succeed to the Immediate Past President seat.
For more information, please contact [email protected]
