President’s Message

by Roberta MacGillivray, CAFS, NCT

Greetings NAFA,

The 2022 NAFA Technical Seminar wrapped in Louisville, Kentucky at the beginning of April and I am happy to report that we had a very successful conference. Many thanks to our NAFA Board and Program Committee for another successful event. True to NAFA’s mission, “To Be The Global Source for Expertise, Education & Best Practices in Air Filtration,” we increased our certifications, we learned from high quality speakers and technical content, and we gained more knowledge and insights from incredible networking opportunities.

It was great to have our first 100% in-person Technical Seminar since the beginning of the pandemic. It’s been so important to learn from technical experts, industry insiders and each other as we all navigate through these incredibly unpredictable times. As NAFA members, we play an important role in keeping people safe and productive by ensuring our customers have the right air filtration and solutions for the right applications. An important message that was consistent with a number of speakers is that while the importance of our work has been elevated due to COVID-19, our role must maintain its importance even past this pandemic. Better air filtration and indoor air quality strategies is important to reduce any type of virus spread whether it is COVID-19 or the common cold or seasonal flu. We were also reminded that better filtration paired with improved ventilation also reduces the levels of TVOCs that can have adverse effects in indoor air environments. And we know that better air filtration and IAQ can improve the level of cognitive function.

At the seminar, and on a weekly basis, we are reminded of the vulnerability of our supply chain and labor supply. Not only do we compete in our own industry for materials and people, but we are also competing with many other industries at the same time. A good way to de-risk your vulnerability is to be well connected in the industry with NAFA members as they can help you navigate the unpredictable challenges. We also know that engaged employees are long term employees so it's important that we lean on NAFA as a resource for education and certification.

As a board, we continue to work on our strategic plan that will lay NAFA’s foundation for the next three years. NAFA needs to focus on raising its presence in our industry to ensure that we are advocating for clean air and best practices that will extend past COVID-19. The strategic plan will be complete and presented at our General Meeting at NAFA’s 2022 Annual Convention in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. We are building our plan around four themes: (1) Increase Knowledge (2) Engage Members (3) Raise Awareness (4) Streamline Operations. We look forward to sharing the completed plan and the key strategic initiatives that will help us reach our future association goals.

Our association is excited about future opportunities and we continue to look for more opportunities to engage members, enrich our knowledge and improve air filtration for our customers. ■

All my best,

Don't forget, if you have any ideas or suggestions, please drop me a line at president@nafahq.org.