Evolving to Serve

In this issue, I want to talk about the state of the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) through the lens of why we exist; how the things that define us at a core level serve us now; and how they must evolve to serve us in the future.

As I have said before, my guiding star for this year is the belief that our association exists to connect, unite, empower, and serve one another as members with equity and inclusion for all:

• Connection gives our association life.
• Unity gives our association relevance.
• Empowerment makes our members stronger and more successful.
• Service makes our association possible.

These components work together; defining who we are, and what we do. That said, time has changed the ways these pieces function at their highest level – service in particular.

Reimagining Service
Once upon a time in a less frantic world, volunteering time and talent was considered a duty, and something to be sacrificed freely. Today, that sacrifice is much greater. Our world is more complex, much more expensive, and time has become a precious commodity. People are generally less willing and able to commit to long-term projects, and especially to those with no end in sight. While passion and generosity still exist, volunteerism now works best with meaningful tasks that have smaller time commitments.

We have felt this throughout our organization, especially in our affiliates. Our affiliates exist to engage the members under their care, and their leaders work hard to do so. But many of them are tired as the pool of willing leaders dwindles, and the association management requirements of today become increasingly complex. Many of our affiliates are struggling with declining or stagnant membership. A solution is needed to remove the barriers to both leadership and volunteerism, so that volunteer time is spent focused on engagement activities, and members can be members.

Affiliates + Chapters = One NAEA
Our association is considering a bylaws modification to add a state chapter model, with the intent to relieve overburdened affiliates of the governance, legal, operational, and managerial responsibilities. The NAEA would assume those duties, and provide more support for leaders and volunteers to focus on professional development, social networking, and promoting the enrolled agent (EA) credential – the cool things. More engagement means more connection, leading to better member satisfaction and greater relevance for our profession.

As NAEA Chapters, the members would pay one set of dues. NAEA members living in unaffiliated areas would have an option to form a chapter without having to incorporate or provide governance.

Conversion to a chapter would be a choice by the affiliates and their members, with some that are high functioning choosing to keep their current structure. By adding chapters to our system, we strengthen the states seeking assistance, thus providing a more consistent membership experience throughout our organization. Affiliates and chapters. Together, we are stronger.