Dear NIA Members,
Who could have predicted that within a few weeks, we went from excitement for a very strong meeting with high attendance to having to cancel our 65th Annual Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona? This is certainly a first, and hopefully, it will be the last time we will ever have to experience something like this. With all these changes, I wanted to provide you with an update on how NIA is handling business. Like many of you, the staff and I have been working from our home offices since March 16. We are fortunate that we can function fully on a remote basis, and yet we are anxious to get back to our Herndon office and embark on life’s new normal path.
Providing You with the Information You Need
Since the cancellation of convention and all the spring training courses, we have been very busy curating information for NIA’s new member digital newsletter, NIA Informs. Each week, on Tuesday and Thursday, NIA Informs is emailed to members to update them on COVID-19 regulations and business information. If you are not seeing this in your inbox, please email editor@insulation.org to receive it. NIA Informs includes a list all FREE upcoming webinars that have been coordinated by NIA or our industry partners to assist you with the new regulations and guidelines. So far, we have held 6 webinars and reached 1,800 individuals. This biweekly communication also includes results from member surveys, and additional industry, travel, or general information we think may be useful.
We have also developed an entire web page dedicated to information related to Covid-19, https://insulation.org/membership/covid19. It includes links to recordings of the webinars we’ve held and other information you need to stay on top of the effects of this ever-changing situation.
What’s Next?
With no Annual Convention, that means no networking, no Silent Auction, no presentations, no committee meetings, no Executive Committee or Board of Directors leadership meetings, and no NIA Business Session for members, which includes our Board of Directors elections and budget approval. However, we have been working hard to develop new processes to accomplish some of these meetings remotely.
Committee Meetings: Each Committee Chair was sent an email to determine when and how they would hold their meeting. If you are on a committee and have not received any word on this yet, please be patient. NIA’s Committee Chairs and staff will communicate with you once they have finalized these arrangements. If you have questions prior to that, don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us.
New NIA Officers, Board Members, and Budget: Active Members must vote to approve these items for our next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2020. The Finance Committee and Nominating Committee have already met several times and are working hard to provide their recommendations to the Board of Directors for their approval. The Board plans to meet remotely within the next few weeks to review and vote on these items. Once the Board’s directives are clear, all active members will receive information on both the Board members up for consideration and the new budget, along with instructions on how to review and vote.
In-Person Meetings: Our plan is to hold our next in-person Board of Directors meeting in July during our regularly scheduled summer Board Meeting. The next full membership meeting will be during our annual Fall Summit on November 4-5, 2020, at the MGM National Harbor outside Washington, DC. Click here to register. We expect our turnout to be quite large due to the need to reconnect, so please register early. It will be an exciting time to be in the DC area since this meeting will be held directly after the Presidential Election…never a dull moment!
Reach Out: We want to hear from you. We are your association; let us know what you need or how we can help. Our thoughts are with all of you as we stay the course and make our way through this unique time. Our industry is strong, and we are stronger together. Thank you for your membership and continued support. Please stay in touch and stay well.
Regards,
Michele M. Jones