Thanks for Your Membership!

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By Kevin Mayeux, CAE

Idon’t think any of us could have imagined how many challenges and opportunities 2020 would present to the world — and for NAIFA, it has been no different. COVID-19 has changed the way we all live life and has caused disruption to virtually every part of our lives — from how we do business, to how we interact with others, to how we socialize, learn and grow.

While 2020 has proven to be exceptionally challenging, it has also given each of us a chance to reflect on what’s important and find ways to innovatively do our work, serve our clients and go about life.

As the professional association for the insurance and financial services industry, NAIFA has been there for you, doing what we do best — working tirelessly to be of value to you, your team and Main Street Americans.

ADJUSTING TO THE “NEW NORMAL”

I’m proud to see how much NAIFA and our members have nimbly adjusted to the “new normal” of life. We banded together and used new technologies to gather virtually. We held a series of Town Hall meetings where thousands of participants joined us as NAIFA became the go-to association for providing clarity during the confusion of shelter-in-place orders and stimulus packages. We quickly put materials together to help our legislators provide trusted resources for consumers who found themselves under new threats of identity fraud and cybersecurity scams.

We couldn’t hold our legislative fly-in on Capitol Hill; so, we brought our advocacy program to our members directly through our NAIFA Nation: Impact Week virtual conference.

This isn’t the first time that NAIFA has been tested through its 130 years of existence, but it is the first time that we’ve had to learn to lobby from the living room and meet with Senators and members of Congress via Zoom!

RE-INVENTING NAIFA

Since our new bylaws went into effect on January 1, 2019, change has been our constant. As part of our transformation and modernization, we underwent a rebrand. How appropriate that the tagline we adopted before the pandemic hit was “Together We Can Take on Anything.” This year has shown the power of belonging to the industry’s premier professional organization, one that can flex to the moment and rally together during challenging times while never losing sight of its mission.

NAIFA’s culture of belonging — of constantly stepping up and doing what’s right for the profession and for those we serve — is what makes NAIFA great. We have become an even stronger association through this period, with many former members returning to our fold with renewed pride and commitment.

To commemorate our 130th anniversary, we have prepared this issue to say thank you for your membership and invite you to commit to ensuring that NAIFA is around for another 130 years.

To do this, we need to invite new generations of advisors into NAIFA and educate more companies on the benefits of supporting NAIFA. Together, we can ensure that NAIFA is the professional home for generations of insurance agents and financial advisors to come.

Kevin Mayeux, CAE, is CEO of NAIFA. Contact him at kmayeux@naifa.org

Call for Volunteers

e are always on the lookout for dynamic volunteers who are ready and willing to inspire us to perform at a higher level of success.

Whether you are an expert on a specific topic, want to provide your fellow members with tricks of the trade or have a story that engages and inspires, we want to hear from you.

We have multiple opportunities for you to get out the word at NAIFA, including speaking at events, becoming an Advisor Ambassador Program presenter, being published in Advisor Today and more.

Looking to get involved? We have everything from microvolunteer opportunities to leadership positions! Just visit the Volunteer tab after you log into the Member Portal to view volunteer opportunities!

Don’t keep your good ideas to yourself. Email us at membernews@naifa.org.