Whenever I attend NPA Area meetings, whether they’re in-person or virtual, people often ask, “So, what’s the Board up to?” It’s a fair question! I know everyone’s curious about what goes on behind the scenes, who’s on the Board, and how the staff and Board work together to keep things running smoothly.
So, let’s break it down. The Board’s primary job is setting the big goals and vision for NPAworldwide, formally known as the Strategic Plan. We’re here to keep things financially stable and moving in the right direction for all our members. You can check out more about our Board members (NPA Board of Directors).
While the Board is busy plotting out the roadmap, the day-to-day work (and heavy lifting) is handled by our amazing staff team. Kerry Crockett, our NPAworldwide President, is at every Board meeting, making sure our big plans line up with what’s actually happening on the ground.
The Board meets every month, mostly on Zoom, with two in-person meetings a year. And if you’re interested in the details, you can find the minutes from these meetings under the “Documents” section on NPA Central.
What’s New and What We’re Working On
Now, the big question everyone asks: “What have you done for me lately?” Here’s a sneak peek at some of the things we’re working on to add more value for our members:
- Strategic Plan Overhaul: We’re constantly reviewing our strategic plan to make sure it’s relevant and reflects what’s happening in the network. We recently surveyed members in July, and here’s what you told us:
- What You Value Most: Opportunities for split fee revenue, networking (both in-person and virtually), the Marketplace sharing platform, and Practice Group calls.
- Less Valuable Programs: Peer Coaching didn’t rank as high. Also, while you find value in our communications, some of you feel like we could dial back the frequency a bit.
- Armed with this information, a deep dive into our strengths and weaknesses, and research on what’s happening in our industry and by region, the Board developed a new 3-year strategic plan that will carry us confidently into the future. More to come on that…
- Area Meeting Planning Support: We’ve put together templates, tools, and resources to help area leaders and country managers organize both formal and informal gatherings for members. We’re making it easier to bring people together!
- Volunteer Leadership: Secretary/Treasurer Patti Steen chairs this committee. She recently hosted the webinar “Expand your horizons: The ROI of Volunteering.” If you have an interest in learning about the many volunteer opportunities available in NPAworldwide, please reach out to Patti for information or click on this link: Volunteer Application
- Best Practices for Great Success: Director Parvathy Krishnan, along with Directors Jenn Anderson and Patrick Long, is leading a committee focused on identifying best practices that’ll help make all of us more successful. This committee is still hard at work to finalize the material. Stay tuned for some solid tips and guidance!
- Sponsorship Opportunities: Kerry Crockett is also revamping our sponsorship options, giving our vendor partners more ways to get involved and connect with you.
- Round Tables Update: Jim Lyons, our Immediate Past Chair, has been working with volunteer leaders to refresh our Round Tables initiative. These discussion groups offer another great way to connect, share insights, and get some valuable peer support. The purpose of this program is to unite owners in a specific geographic region 2-4 times/year to discuss any/all matters pertaining to ownership of a recruiting firm. “What’s keeping you up at night?” This could be anything from business best practices, hiring employees, industry trends, new recruiting software topics, etc. Every owner, regardless of the number of employees (or zero), is invited to attend. No NPAworldwide staff are on these calls, nor are any employee members. These are not intended to be a forum to discuss NPAworldwide split activity.
- Marketing Project: This August, Kerry and the staff, with Board approval, partnered with a marketing consultant to help us define our brand and tell our story on a global scale. This is still a work in progress, but we’re excited about the potential!
- Board Nominations Process: We’ve made some updates to the Board nominations process to make it smoother and more objective. We’re currently working on interviewing the slate of nominated candidates for the 2025 election.
- Education Committee: To better understand what you want to learn, we created an Education Committee with representatives from all conference regions to gather ideas for conference topics and speakers. Kimberley Chesney has graciously stepped up to chair this committee. Thanks, Kimberley!
- Technology Committee: Chaired by Director Andrew Thoseby. Meets on a regular basis to discuss current needs, anticipated needs and "blue sky" projects.
And that’s just a quick snapshot! There’s a lot going on behind the scenes to keep NPAworldwide moving forward and creating value for everyone involved. Got more questions? Feel free to reach out—we’re here to make sure our network keeps growing and thriving!