Thought Leadership Thursday
Thank You For Your Support & Involvement
Thought Leadership Thursday Article
Thank You For Your Support & Involvement
June 25, 2020
Executive Director
NAST
Dear Colleagues,
As I get closer to the end of my third year as Executive Director of NAST, it’s a good time to reflect on where we are. I’ll never forget my whirlwind introduction to members and attendees at the 2017 NAST Annual Conference in Boston. While I had been selected for the role, I actually had not started in the position and wouldn’t for another 3 weeks. But I knew I had made the right decision given that everyone I met at the Annual Conference praised the organization and its members.
Flash forward to today and it is still clear to me that NAST is a great organization and, for me personally, a great and rewarding place to work. Prior to COVID we had seen member engagement grow year after year. Attendance at our conferences has continued to grow, we created the “universal membership” approach to engage more staff in our members’ offices, we’ve created the staff caucuses (e.g. Chief of Staff & Deputy Treasurers, public information officers and government relations, and the soon to launch financial education caucus), our Networks and committees have been incredibly engaged, we’ve been more deliberate about creating networking opportunities at our conference and to help people maintain those relationships when they get back to their offices, and our advocacy on the Hill and with federal agencies has never been more active. As a nonpartisan organization, combined with the public finance expertise of our members, NAST is heard in Washington, D.C. These achievements and successes are due to our members’ commitment to the profession and their association. Then came COVID.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what COVID would mean for NAST. Associations across the nation have struggled to project what impact COVID would have on their members as well as their finances and operations and even on their relevance and survivability. While we may still be early in the pandemic, I have been amazed at our members’ response and what it has meant for the association. Treasurers have been meeting virtually as a group on a near-weekly basis since the pandemic started to share information and ensure that they are kept up to date on the latest legislative and policy issues here in D.C. The staff caucuses have been meeting virtually as well to share best practices and ensure the day-to-day operations of Treasury offices. Members of Congress, their staff, and senior leadership at the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve have reached out to seek NAST input on COVID response legislation and implementation regulations and guidance. And the Corporate Affiliate Advisory Board has continued to meet and advise NAST membership and staff on the resources they can bring to bear to support public finance during COVID.
And while we, unfortunately, had to cancel our in-person Treasury Management Training Symposium in Portland, Oregon — we were able to switch to a virtual conference to make sure that we could still bring over 65 hours of education content and networking to our members. Our members have told us time and again, they most value these education and networking opportunities. The registration numbers at our Virtual TMTS are an example of how our membership has not only continued to persevere through their day-to-day challenges, but that — now more than ever — they see NAST as a critical resource in helping them do their job. Last year we had 728 attendees at our in-person TMTS, which was our highest attended conference ever. This year we have 761 individuals registered to attend Virtual TMTS and over 40% are first-time attendees!
There may be uncertainty ahead for each of us and for our association, but I am comforted by how our members have rallied with their teams at home, in support of their colleagues across the country, and in support of their profession and association. I can tell you that while our days have become longer and the work more challenging (probably like it has for most of you), we as the NAST staff are motivated knowing that the work we do helps our members do their jobs better and, in turn, benefits the constituents that our members serve. We want to thank you for your continued support and active involvement in NAST as well as the work you do every day in support of the public good.
Sincerely,
Shaun Snyder
Executive Director
National Association of State Treasurers
(202) 744-6663 Voice & Text
shaun@statetreasurers.org
As I get closer to the end of my third year as Executive Director of NAST, it’s a good time to reflect on where we are. I’ll never forget my whirlwind introduction to members and attendees at the 2017 NAST Annual Conference in Boston. While I had been selected for the role, I actually had not started in the position and wouldn’t for another 3 weeks. But I knew I had made the right decision given that everyone I met at the Annual Conference praised the organization and its members.
Flash forward to today and it is still clear to me that NAST is a great organization and, for me personally, a great and rewarding place to work. Prior to COVID we had seen member engagement grow year after year. Attendance at our conferences has continued to grow, we created the “universal membership” approach to engage more staff in our members’ offices, we’ve created the staff caucuses (e.g. Chief of Staff & Deputy Treasurers, public information officers and government relations, and the soon to launch financial education caucus), our Networks and committees have been incredibly engaged, we’ve been more deliberate about creating networking opportunities at our conference and to help people maintain those relationships when they get back to their offices, and our advocacy on the Hill and with federal agencies has never been more active. As a nonpartisan organization, combined with the public finance expertise of our members, NAST is heard in Washington, D.C. These achievements and successes are due to our members’ commitment to the profession and their association. Then came COVID.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what COVID would mean for NAST. Associations across the nation have struggled to project what impact COVID would have on their members as well as their finances and operations and even on their relevance and survivability. While we may still be early in the pandemic, I have been amazed at our members’ response and what it has meant for the association. Treasurers have been meeting virtually as a group on a near-weekly basis since the pandemic started to share information and ensure that they are kept up to date on the latest legislative and policy issues here in D.C. The staff caucuses have been meeting virtually as well to share best practices and ensure the day-to-day operations of Treasury offices. Members of Congress, their staff, and senior leadership at the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve have reached out to seek NAST input on COVID response legislation and implementation regulations and guidance. And the Corporate Affiliate Advisory Board has continued to meet and advise NAST membership and staff on the resources they can bring to bear to support public finance during COVID.
And while we, unfortunately, had to cancel our in-person Treasury Management Training Symposium in Portland, Oregon — we were able to switch to a virtual conference to make sure that we could still bring over 65 hours of education content and networking to our members. Our members have told us time and again, they most value these education and networking opportunities. The registration numbers at our Virtual TMTS are an example of how our membership has not only continued to persevere through their day-to-day challenges, but that — now more than ever — they see NAST as a critical resource in helping them do their job. Last year we had 728 attendees at our in-person TMTS, which was our highest attended conference ever. This year we have 761 individuals registered to attend Virtual TMTS and over 40% are first-time attendees!
There may be uncertainty ahead for each of us and for our association, but I am comforted by how our members have rallied with their teams at home, in support of their colleagues across the country, and in support of their profession and association. I can tell you that while our days have become longer and the work more challenging (probably like it has for most of you), we as the NAST staff are motivated knowing that the work we do helps our members do their jobs better and, in turn, benefits the constituents that our members serve. We want to thank you for your continued support and active involvement in NAST as well as the work you do every day in support of the public good.
Sincerely,
Shaun Snyder
Executive Director
National Association of State Treasurers
(202) 744-6663 Voice & Text
shaun@statetreasurers.org
