Time Flies As We Prepare to Be “Better Together” in Palm Desert, CA!

The adage that “time flies” is more certain to me than ever before. When I was elected as the Third Vice President of NASBP at the 2018 NASBP Annual Meeting & Expo in Scottsdale, AZ, anticipating this date seemed so far in the future. The time between, being selected to become a NASBP Officer and now—near the end of my term as President, has passed as quick as a heartbeat.

We are just days away from the 2022 NASBP Annual Meeting & Expo in Palm Desert. In reflection, it has been three years since our Association has been able to hold our premier annual event in person, the most recent of which was the 2019 NASBP Annual Meeting & Expo in Austin, TX. That spectacular Austin meeting was the end of Bob Shaw’s presidential year where he handed off the NASBP presidency to John Bustard (many of you may recall a portion of John’s incoming Presidential speech when he made a reference to the great Bustard bird!). At the time, none of us knew what turmoil we would all experience in early 2020 through to 2021. Though John had his 2020 Annual Meeting finalized in early 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 necessitated having his meeting virtually. The virus lived on, and in 2021 we also celebrated Mark Munekawa’s year as president virtually. Being able to hold this year’s Annual Meeting in person makes it even more special.

My Annual Meeting Program Committee; our meeting consultant, Bethany Jones; and NASBP staff have been hard at work on the details of this 2022 Annual Meeting in hopes that it will be enjoyable, informative, and exceed everyone’s expectations.

Bethany deserves five stars for her efforts in working with the hotel team. I understand the Monday, May 2 evening receptions were especially difficult in organizing; but Bethany’s persistence ensured most everyone is now settled. For those who experienced difficulties in planning your events, I apologize and greatly appreciate your perseverance in finalizing them.

The Tuesday, May 3 evening final event will follow the format of the Austin meeting. The event will be casual, no dressy suits or long evening gowns. Please dress comfortably—just as you would if you were attending a county state fair. Please remember that the desert cools down quickly after dark. We have fun activities planned, along with a wide menu of delicious fair-inspired foods and a fun 1980s band. We do have some official business to take care of that evening, such as electing and announcing the new NASBP President and other NASBP officers. We want this evening to be a celebration and a fun, interactive event.

This is my last Pipeline column as NASBP President. The next one you read will be prepared by Nick Newton, our incoming President. I would like to share my gratitude for the efforts of the NASBP staff in Bethesda. Our CEO, Mark McCallum, has worked tirelessly to keep the staff safe and efficient. Mark and Maria Roginski, Director of Finance and Operations, did a great job securing government funding for a PPP loan (which was forgiven) and ERTC tax credits. Martha Perkins, General Counsel, continued her efforts in fighting hazardous bond forms and organizing our Attorney and CPA Advisory Councils. Kat Shamapande, Director of Professional Development, and Hadi Heneveld, Education and Registration Specialist, exceled in their efforts to restart and hold our Surety Schools in person along with all the virtual events NASBP has to offer. Kathy Hoffman, Director of Communications, and Kathryn Doran, Administrative and Publications Manager, kept all of us up to date on the Association activities and our communications. Steve Karlin, Director of Technology & Membership Services, ensured the staff remained connected while working remotely for months; and Dasha Harris, Assistant Director of Membership Services, continued to help new members join NASBP. In closing, I would like to thank our government relations staff, Larry LeClair, Director of Government Relations, and Scott Jeffrey, Government Relations Advisor, for their hugely successful legislative year.

As members of NASBP, we may not always be aware of the exceptional efforts of our staff. We are blessed to have such a great team working for us every day to help promote and protect the surety product. Thank you all for your membership in NASBP. Your participation on NASBP committees and attendance at our meetings makes us a strong association.

This brings me back to my theme this year, “Better Together.” We are truly better together when we all share our knowledge and experience. I am excited for our Palm Desert meeting and look forward to visiting with all of you who will be there!

Tracy Tucker is President of Tucker Agency, Ltd. in Fort Worth, TX. He can be reached at tracy@tuckeragency.com or 817.336.8520.