Well, here we are – already into the second month of 2024!  No matter how you are doing on your New Year resolutions, I hope you will take a moment to think about your level of engagement with NAFTZ in 2024.  You may have heard this association adage before – “You get far more out of your association membership than what you put in”.  It’s so true – but the only way to know if it’s true for yourself is to put something more in, first.  Here’s a few ideas for you to consider - opportunities to participate in 2024 that maybe you haven’t before:

Easy!  Minimal time commitment.

• Webinars:  Our program committee volunteers have worked hard to have a slate of webinar offerings scheduled throughout 2024.  It is not a complete list, as we will add webinars on hot topics, advocacy issues, etc. as needed throughout the year.  Our webinars are not only a great source of FTZ-specific information and education, they also typically allow for substantive Q&A.  A great way to get your specific FTZ questions answered.  For a list of webinars that are available to register for, visit https://www.naftz.org/archived-webinars/ or our event calendar at https://members.naftz.org/eventcalendar/Search?term=&DateFilter=0&from=&to=&CategoryValues=&mode=0.
  
  Did I mention that sponsoring a webinar is a great way to get the word out about your organization directly to NAFTZ members that are interested in webinar topics?  For more information about sponsoring a webinar, contact Victoria Cartwright at vcartwright@naftz.org. 
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Low - Medium time commitment

• Committees:  joining an NAFTZ committee, task force or working group is a great first step to increasing your engagement in NAFTZ.  Most committees meet monthly, and as a member of a committee you could expect to also spend about an hour outside of the meetings in some months.  Benefits of joining a group include the opportunity to make a difference in the work of your chosen group, and meet fellow FTZ colleagues that you may not have known otherwise.  For a full list of committees and related groups, click https://members.naftz.org/serve-on-a-committee/.  Also note that we’d categorize the Program Committee as a medium-high level of commitment. 
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• There are two committees that you should be a member of if you are in either of these member types:
• User/Operator Committee
• Grantee Committee

These two ‘committees’ function a bit differently than our others are they are specifically formed for these two member communities to connect with each other.  Both of these committees offer an open Q&A opportunity during their monthly meetings – a great way to learn from others that have responsibilities similar to yours!  Don’t recreate the wheel or try to go-it-alone… sign up for either of these committees as appropriate and see for yourself.  You won’t regret it!  Questions?  Contact Kristine Wells at kwells@naftz.org.

Medium Time Commitment

• Advocacy Working Groups:  The new advocacy working groups are a critical new component of NAFTZ’s overall advocacy efforts.  There are 5 working groups, each focused on specific advocacy topics.  No matter what your FTZ role – there is almost guaranteed to be a working group to align with what you do in the FTZ world:
• Manufacturing FTZs
• Distribution FTZs
• Zone Operations (issues effecting all zones)
• FTZ Awareness (marketing FTZs, educating others about FTZ, etc.)
• Petroleum/Energy 
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• These working groups will be actively addressing all aspects of advocacy issues specific to the group.  They’ll work closely with our new Director of Advocacy (Melissa Irmen), our new Government Advisors from Sorini Samet and Associates, executive committee members and myself.  Even if your employer doesn’t allow for you to actively advocate on behalf of your employer, you can still participate in the working groups and let voice be heard as we are setting the direction of NAFTZ advocacy efforts on issues that impact your zone(s).  Questions?  Please feel free to contact me (jtafel@naftz.org) or Melissa Irmen (mirmen@naftz.org). We are always happy to answer any questions that you may have.  

Medium - High Time Commitment

• NAFTZ leadership opportunities – Committee/Working Group Chair:  While our committee chairs are set for 2024, you can set a goal now of chairing a committee in 2025.  How? 
• Be an active participant in your chosen committee(s) or working group(s).
• Volunteer to assist the current chair in the team efforts. 
• Let the NAFTZ staff team know this fall if you’d like to be considered as chair in 2025.
• NAFTZ Board:  The primary path to serving as a board member is through committee or working group service.  We want to ensure that the association has experienced volunteers added to the potential pool of board members every year.  The NAFTZ board is a very engaged group of volunteers – all of whom passionately believe in the mission of NAFTZ and the value that FTZs bring to our great country and the half-million American jobs in Zones.
  

High Time Commitment 

• NAFTZ Executive Committee:  The primary path to serving as an officer on the Executive Committee is through Board service.  Like the Board of Directors, Officers on the Executive Committee are extremely passionate about the association’s mission and doing everything possible to support the FTZ program and especially those who work in or engage with US FTZs. 

These are just a few ways to engage more in ‘24.  If you have any questions – please reach out to anyone of the staff team, board members, committee chairs or other committee members.  Ask them about what their participation is and what it means to them.  I’m confident that they’ll encourage you to jump in!

By:

Jeffrey Tafel
NAFTZ President