Lead The Power Sweeping Industry into the Future

As we near the end of 2011, the Board of Directors of the North American Power Sweeping Association (NAPSA) would like to invite participation in leading NAPSA into the future. Members can have their voice heard by nominating themselves for leadership or committee positions.

You may be asking yourself, what does being a NAPSA Director require? Below are some typical responsibilities:

• Directors actively participate in conference calls and attend the winter board meeting
• As designated committee chairs or liaisons, Directors will remain fully aware of committee activities, charges and recommendations
• As needed, Directors present committee reports at Board meetings as the committee chair or in the absence of the committee chair
• Directors will keep the Board of Directors and staff informed of developments and happenings in the power sweeping industry
• Directors will submit information about upcoming meetings, workshops and other items of interest for NAPSA News and the website
• Directors will participate in the NAPSA mentoring program
• As members of the NAPSA Board, Directors will actively recruit new members.

Profile of a NAPSA Board Member

A board member should be willing to commit to the majority of the following attributes:

• Be a regular member in good standing
• Officers must have served at least one year on the Board prior to being eligible
• Attend the annual meeting of the Board of Directors every year
• Attend monthly teleconference meetings on a regular basis
• Have leadership and management experience in their firm
• Be a team player
• Respect the views of the board members
• Willingness to move out of their comfort zone in order to fulfill board responsibilities
• Full support of their firm for board commitments
• Understanding of strategic, operational and financial issues and how they impact the effective functioning of the board
• Be prepared to be accountable for fulfilling their role and responsibilities on the board.

Expectations of a NAPSA Board Member

The board member should meet the following expectations:

• Be professional and act like a leader at all board sanctioned activities
• Prepare for and attend all board meetings so as to participate knowledgeably and meaning fully in all discussions and deliberations of the board
• Make decisions based on independent assessment that considers the objectives of NAPSA
• Keep abreast of trends and factors that impact the power sweeping industry
• Participate positively in discussions and strive to reach decisions of the board by constructive discussion and consensus
• Act with integrity and honesty with actions being guided by the best interests of the board
• Bring personal knowledge and experience in a positive manner to all discussions of the board
• Complies with the ethics established by NAPSA
• Is accountable for and supports decisions that are made collectively by the board
• Knowledge of and commitment to a director’s fiduciary responsibilities and standards of care, including confidentiality obligations, due diligence and loyalty.

Board Make-Up

The NAPSA Board is comprised of five officers (Immediate Past President, President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer) and six contractor directors and four associate directors. Director terms are two years. All Board members begin their term at the Annual Business Meeting, which is normally held in February.

Members eligible for Board nomination must be members of the Association with dues paid current. Officers MUST serve as a Director for at least one year before being eligible to serve. Associate Directors may serve as an officer as Secretary or Treasurer only.

Nominee Resumes will be solicited from eligible members via blast e-mails and are due no later than October 14, 2011.

Committee Participation

In addition to a Director position, NAPSA is actively soliciting individual committee members. As a committee member, you would participate in the planning and progress of committee goals and activities. NAPSA committees include:
• Bylaws
• Benefits
• Certification
• Education
• Environment
• Legislative
• Marketing
• Mentoring

Here’s what Benefits Committee member Pete Phillips, Clean Sweep in Chattanooga, TN had to say: “I didn’t know what to expect when I reluctantly agreed to participate on the Benefits Committee, but it hasn’t been bad at all, in fact, I’ve enjoyed it. We work to improve benefits that members receive and I get to use the benefits myself.”

If you are interested in participating in NAPSA leadership, please contact NAPSA at (888) 757-0130 or by email at info@powersweeping.org.

The North American Power Sweeping Association (NAPSA) is a nonprofit association made up of 300+ contract sweepers, service providers and sweeping equipment dealers, manufacturers and suppliers. NAPSA is dedicated to providing beneficial support to the membership and enhancing services to the sweeping industry.

NAPSA is committed to promoting and educating the power sweeping community while enhancing the environment. For more information on NAPSA membership, please visit www.powersweeping.org or call (888) 757-0130.

Story by Nancy Terry