Thankful for Your Passion and Purpose

This is my final Pipeline column as NASBP President. Over the past 11 months I’ve been asked numerous times by Members and industry colleagues how it was going and if it was what I expected. Without a doubt, it was everything and more than what I had hoped it would be. I cannot express adequately in words what an amazing experience it has been to serve the Association and the surety industry in this capacity. What has truly been humbling is to see day-in and day-out the incredible passion and purpose of so many, which may often go unnoticed.

Two great examples came within the last two months since my last article. First, in February, Jenny and I were blessed to restart the NASBP President visit to Puerto Rico in conjunction with the NASBP Region 12 Meeting. Surety and construction in Puerto Rico are recovering, and it was awesome to meet the NASBP Members and Affiliates of Puerto Rico. A huge thank you to Ruben Jordan Blanes and Ruben A. Jordan for being such gracious and amazing hosts–we will treasure our new friendship forever and look forward to returning soon!

Second, at the end of March, NASBP hosted its first in-person federal Legislative Fly-in in three years. Invigorated by recent legislative victories and the recently issued SFAA report conducted by Ernst & Young on the Economic Value of Surety Bonds, NASBP Members and Affiliates participated in nearly 100 legislative visits. We continue to educate our government officials about surety, encouraging them to vote “yes” on surety bond inclusion for WIFIA projects and Rural Broadband awards, all the while stressing the importance of reasonable threshold limits on the Miller Act. I thank each person who attended this year’s Fly-in. Thank you for your passion and purpose for this industry. I will continue to encourage more of you to find the time to do this every year. If we cannot or will not advocate for and support our industry, how can we expect our legislators to do so? For more information about the Fly-in, see CEO Mark McCallum’s column and the article with stats and photos from 2023 federal Legislative Fly-in.

In a few short weeks, many of us will assemble at our Annual Meeting on Marco Island, FL. We expect record or near-record attendance, and it will be the ultimate display of our industry’s passion and purpose. We have an amazing agenda in store for those who attend. I want to recognize the outstanding job the Annual Program Committee, co-chaired by Dedi Belis and Jennifer Salm, has done in putting together a phenomenal program. I would also like to extend an early thank you to our surety partners that have sponsored this meeting and so many other NASBP offerings throughout the year. Without you, this would not be possible.

I feel much was accomplished this past year, and none of it would have occurred without the efforts of so many people. I would like to recognize and thank the NASBP Executive Committee–First Vice President Patrick Pribyl, Second Vice President Zach Mendelson, Third Vice President Robert Coon, and Immediate Past President Tracy Tucker and Ex Officios: Rusty Lear, Tyler McIntyre, and Mark Duggan–for your amazing work and unwavering support this year. Our Association is in good hands under your continued leadership. I would also like to thank other NASBP leaders and volunteer Members–our Directors-At-Large and Regional Directors, our Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs, and the numerous people who comprise our many NASBP committees. Your demonstrated passion and purpose for NASBP is both humbling and inspiring. I laud your efforts and encourage you to continue: it is all of you who make a real difference.

NASBP is stronger than ever, and that is attributable, not just to our Members, but also our staff in Bethesda. As President, I have had the distinct pleasure of seeing that first-hand every day. Our CEO, Mark McCallum, has done an exemplary job. We unquestionably have the best in the business–Meeting Planning Consultant Bethany Jones, Director of Government Relations Larry LeClair, Director of Professional Development Kat Shamapande, Director of Communications Kathy Hoffman, Director of Finance and Operations Maria Roginski, Director of Technology and Member Services Steve Karlin, General Counsel Martha Perkins, with support from Assistant Director of Communications and Operations Kathryn Doran, Assistant Director of Membership Services Dasha Harris, and Education and Registration Specialist for NASBP Professional Development Hadi Heneveld–a huge thank you to each of you for everything you do!

It’s been an amazing year–one I will never forget. Thanks again to all of you for your passion and purpose for surety and NASBP. I look forward to seeing many of you soon. Thank you and God Bless!

Nick Newton is Senior Vice President-Surety, AssuredPartners of Minnesota, LLC, St. Paul, MN. He can be reached at nicholas.newton@assuredpartners.com or 651.369.9946.