October 2024 Affiliated Associations Director Message

Hello, affiliates!

Happy fall, Happy Halloween, and happy football season! Autumn is a time of nostalgia with beautiful colors, seasonal decorations, and pumpkin spice treats. It is also a great time for planning and preparing to finish the year strong!

The NALA Affiliated Associations Team (AA Team) would like to thank you for sharing your association’s challenges and successes. In your annual and mid-year reports, as well as during Town Halls, you voiced some of the major challenges you face, such as difficulty with finding volunteers/new leadership and dwindling attendance at events. We continue to hear and address your needs and these challenges.

It has been a busy year. NALA rolled out its eight-month leadership training, the Leadership Exploration and Development (LEAD) program. The first ever conference add-on for Affiliated Associations, “Growing and Strengthening Your NALA Affiliated Association,” took place this year at July’s conference. Shelley Cadamy of Cadamy Business Consulting spent invaluable time with affiliates, diving into the hard yet rewarding aspects of leadership. Also at conference, the San Francisco Paralegal Association and Los Angeles Paralegal Association gave the Affiliate Exchange presentation on “The Benefits of Collaboration,” emphasizing the importance of working together with fellow affiliates to experience strength and growth. For your diligence, dedication, resilience, and tireless contributions to your associations and NALA, the AA Team celebrates your successes through our awards: the NALA Affiliated Associations Pinnacle Award, the NALA Affiliated Association of the Year Award, and the NALA Affiliate Award. During the August Town Hall, the School Relations Task Force discussed how core competencies are critical skills for leadership within your associations and the paralegal profession. In September, the Central Florida Paralegal Association presented “Finding the Best Speakers for the Most Amazing CLEs for Your Association.”

Growth is not always easy, but challenges give you a chance to learn and get stronger. Keep your eye on your goals, help your members develop their skills, and work as a team. In doing so, your association will continue to grow and have a great impact on NALA and the paralegal profession.

Believe in your collective vision and strive for excellence. Your association’s future is bright, and every step forward shapes a legacy of success. Your strength and dedication have brought you this far, and even greater growth lies ahead. Remember that unity, shared purpose, and relentless effort are the foundations of any successful organization. Strengthening your association starts with strong relationships, innovation, and empowering each member. Keep pushing boundaries, and you will continue to achieve greatness!

The AA Team hopes this fall brings you:

The courage to start fresh
Resilience to fight against the odds
Kindness that warms people’s hearts
Wisdom to find the right direction
Strength to keep moving forward

IMPORTANT DATES:

Now – Identify nominees for the 2025 NALA Affiliate Award and NALA Affiliated Associations Pinnacle Award

Now – Consider serving in an affiliate leadership role as Affiliated Associations Director or Affiliated Associations Secretary. Nominations will be due by May 2025.

October 1 – NALA Affiliated Association renewal (please submit immediately if you have not done so already).

November 1 – Opening date for proposal submissions for the 2025 Affiliate Exchange.

December 31 – Deadline to submit proposals for the 2025 Affiliate Exchange.

July 10-12, 2025 –NALA Conference & Expo (50th anniversary) in Atlantic City, NJ

Sharon D. Jones, ACP
NALA Affiliated Associations Director