Entire Issue - National Association of Legal Assistants

AFFILIATESCOLUMN
Making the Most of Affiliation with NALA
by Melissa A. (Lisa) Vander Weide, CLAS
NALA Affiliated Associations Director
Hearty congratulations are in order for
every board member of a NALA Affiliated
Association. You have taken on the challenge
of leading your association. Not only will you
help grow and develop your affiliated association,
but will play an important part in
advancing the paralegal profession as a whole
within your community.
While NALA serves the interests of our
profession nationwide, your local association
has the critical role of serving the profession
within your geographic area. Both associations
are vital to your professional life.
Communication with legal assistants
elsewhere in the country is an important
purpose of the affiliated associations. Being a
member of a NALA affiliate gives you access to
background information for projects that other
affiliates may have already tried. The opportunity
to network with other affiliates is a key
benefit to your affiliation with NALA.
To make the most of your affiliation,
start by submitting your quarterly reports
and annual report to NALA. Send your
association’s newsletter to me. This paperwork
may seem a hassle, but the more we hear from
you, the more we know what your needs are.
Also, why not share your newsletter with
other NALA Affiliates?
Take a look through NALA’s 2003 Annual
Report you received at the NALA Convention
for ideas and contact information for your fellow
affiliates. You will no doubt find an association
that has accomplished at least one of the
goals your association has set.
There is a section in the NALA Net
Conference Center specifically for affiliated
associations. Make sure you use this tool to
post advertisements of your seminars and
events. You can (and should) share tips from
your successful projects, and post questions to
other affiliates for help with issues your association
faces. This is a quick and easy way to
communicate with every affiliated association.
Read through your Affiliates Briefs and
visit the Affiliates’ page on the NALA Web site.
NALA strives to make sure you have valuable
information at your fingertips.
I know we always say these things as
though we think you won’t believe us, but you
really must attend the Annual Affiliated
Associations meeting at the NALA Convention.
Bring your newsletters and other materials
you are proud of and share them. Take time
to visit with the other affiliate representatives
so you will be able to put faces with the names
of those you have been in contact with
throughout the year. You will return to your
own association full of energy and ideas.
And, if you have comments, questions or
ideas about how NALA might serve your association
better, please contact me. I try hard to practice
what I preach, and I truly want to hear from you.
The purpose of the NALA Affiliated
Associations program is for NALA and the
affiliated associations to work together for the
benefit of the paralegal profession. Utilize the
tools NALA makes available to your association.
The result will make us all stronger.
Melissa A. Vander Weide, CLAS, works in
the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor’s Rights
with Broad and Cassel, Orlando, FL. She has a
BA in Legal Studies from the University of Central
Florida, earned her CLA in 1994 and received the
CLAS in Bankruptcy in 2002. She is a member
of the Central
Florida Paralegal
Association, Inc.
and the Central
Florida Bankruptcy
Law
Association.
She formerly
served two
terms as
NALA’s Region
3 Director.
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FACTS & FINDINGS / AUGUST 2003 51