2024 has marked a significant year of transition for our team at NPAworldwide. Change is never easy, but it often brings about growth and new opportunities. Among the most notable changes is the retirement of Chris Paull, who has been a cornerstone of our organization for an impressive 48 years. While we will undoubtedly miss Chris's presence and invaluable contributions, her departure has paved the way for an exciting new chapter in our journey.
It is with great pleasure that we announce the promotion of Liz Carey to the position of Director of Technology. Liz has been an integral part of our organization for many years, and her dedication and expertise make her a perfect fit for this role. In this post, we aim to introduce you to Liz, explore her background, and highlight the significant impact she has had on NPAworldwide.
For those of you who attended the Global Conference in Salt Lake City, you may have had the pleasure of meeting Liz in person. Her approachable demeanor and deep knowledge of our operations left a lasting impression on many attendees. Liz has been a familiar face within NPAworldwide, having served on the Engagement Team and working closely with Chris on the technology side of our business.
Given Liz's new responsibilities, we thought now would be an excellent time to delve deeper into her background and contributions to NPA. Here are a few insights into Liz's journey and what motivates her:
How long have you been with NPA (including your time with NBN)?
“I started with NBN, the National Banking Network, in May 2012. There, I was more behind the scenes, doing administrative tasks, billing, social media, blogging, and newsletters. I dabbled on the tech/web side—building the company’s SEO, creating content for the website, tracking website traffic, and providing tech support. I also tested functionality and documented errors when we had a new platform created. NPAworldwide acquired NBN in September 2014. I started in a similar ‘behind the scenes’ role, taking notes on practice group calls and tracking numbers, helping with communications such as split stories, Membership Updates, and blogging, and performing administrative tasks like adding new firms/recruiters to the system. But over the years, my position grew to a much more engagement-focused role.”
What is your experience with NPA's technology platforms?
“Like Chris Paull, I have no ‘formal’ training or background in technology. Still, as a user of NPA’s systems (from SplitZone to Matchmaker to Marketplace) for the last ten years, I consider myself an expert, as I spend all day in them, whether with my engagement hat (training new members to use NPA Central and Marketplace) or with my new technology hat (performing daily system checks and troubleshooting issues).”
What can you tell the members about the current Technology Committee?
“As NPAworldwide is a member-owned network, we always look out for the best interest of our members and what you want. To that, we have a Technology Committee to support the network’s needs moving forward, which is comprised of volunteer members. It’s separated into three distinct areas of focus: 1) Systems Improvement – comprised of users of the NPAmarketplace & who have an interest in improving that tool; 2) Blue Sky Committee – a curious and creative group of visionaries looking at what “could be,” and 3) Industry Technology Trends – tuned in and aware of trends in the industry, and willing to experiment. We meet several times a year to brainstorm and discuss areas of improvement, go over requests and “wishlist” items, and consider new ideas and tools.”
Is there anything new being considered for any of our platforms? (Marketplace, Job Board, NPAworldwide Works?)
“For the job board, we are implementing a blog to help draw candidates and provide value so they return to our site. As part of our “Phase 2”, we will also implement email templates as an easy way for job recruiters to communicate to applicants about their jobs. We have numerous other “wish list” items that we hope to implement in the future, and we are always open to members’ suggestions and feedback.”
What are your responsibilities with Membership Engagement?
“I handle the Healthcare and Biomedical/Med Device practice groups and the US West Pacific, US Middle Atlantic, US NY/NJ, and US New England areas.”
Are there any challenges here? Any shoutouts to anyone?
“A big shout-out to Chris Paull for mentoring me and believing in my ability to transition to this role. She’s been having weekly training sessions with me over the past ten months to show me the ropes. But 48 years’ worth of knowledge is a lot to absorb. She has truly shown patience, leadership, and understanding, and I certainly have big shoes to fill. Also, a big shoutout to the rest of the Engagement Team (Marcia, Kelsea, and Kristen) for taking on some of my engagement tasks during this transition and always being willing to help!”
In conclusion, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Chris Paull for her 48 years of dedicated service to NPAworldwide. Her contributions have left an indelible mark on our organization, and we wish her all the best in her retirement.
As we look to the future, we are excited to have Liz Carey leading our technology initiatives. Her expertise, passion, and commitment to excellence will undoubtedly propel NPA to new heights. Join us in celebrating this exciting transition and welcoming Liz to her new role as Director of Technology.
Thank you for being a part of our journey, and we look forward to the continued success and growth of NPAworldwide with Liz Carey at the technology helm.