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The leading voice for excellence in public finance

Thought Leadership Thursday

Our Work Continues

Shaun Snyder

Thought Leadership Thursday Article

Our Work Continues
October 1, 2020
Executive Director
NAST
Dear Members & Supporters,

Happy October 1. I know it is October because Halloween decorations have already started going up in my neighborhood and Grace and I will put ours up this weekend (well…that’s my aspirational goal). Though we will not have trick-or-treaters this year, I am sure the neighborhood kids will still get candy from somewhere. October 1 also marks the beginning of the fiscal year federally, as well as for some states and the District of Columbia. And while we could not have the TMTS or Annual Conferences in-person this year, we recently held our Annual Business Meeting online and next week marks the launch of our virtual Fall Forums, which are free to all NAST members.

I mention this to point out that while COVID-19 has certainly upended a great deal, we – all of us – are also working to make sure that as much of our daily work and activities continue as uninterrupted as possible. That is certainly true for NAST as well. While a great deal of what you hear from us is directly or indirectly related to the pandemic, we also continue to focus on our core NAST issues.

Our members are still active and working together on matters related to banking and cash management, investing, pensions and retirement, financial education, ABLE, college savings, unclaimed property, and debt and infrastructure. This work includes collaboration with other partner associations at the state, county, and local level to make sure that our shared interests are amplified in the virtual halls of Congress as well as with the federal agencies. And our partnership with our Corporate Affiliates remain active and engaged, continuing to provide valuable services to NAST and its members while practicing corporate citizenship at a time when it is more important than ever.

The NAST Foundation has also recently launched its new Financial Wellness program to promote financial education and wellness among our public sector colleagues. I encourage your office to take advantage of these tools as they make presentations, host events, or support state legislation on financial wellness.

Our work continues because of the commitment of our members and I cannot thank you enough. As we plan for 2021 and beyond, it is more important than ever that we hear from you about the services, benefits, and initiatives you would like to see from NAST. I think we all know that virtual work will continue for a bit longer, but that doesn’t mean we should take our foot off the gas when it comes to advocating for our issues. Please feel free to reach out to me or any of the NAST staff to make sure your voice is heard and that we are being responsive to our members’ needs. And I hope we will see you at our Fall Forums, which are free to NAST members and start next week.

Thank you,

Shaun Snyder
NAST Executive Director

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