In 2001, the local community’s activity in ASHE had deteriorated and the Section was on the brink of dissolving. At that time it was realized that the strength of an organization lies in the membership. Under the leadership of Bill Warden, the Northeast Florida Section Board was formed. The Board met monthly, created its goals, and began to strategize as to how to achieve these goals, thus creating a strong and viable Section. To this day, the Section Board meets monthly. The commitment and dedication of the 2001 Board Members has proved to be contagious throughout the local community.

Membership / Organization

At its peak, the Northeast Florida Section Board in 2010/2011 was comprised of 13 members and 17 Committees: Audit, Budgets, Community Outreach, Ethics/Constitution/By-Laws, Golf Tournament, Historian, Membership, Member Involvement/Committee Development, Nominating, Programs (Monthly-Technical), Public Relations (Newsletter, Sponsorships, and Website), Scholarships/Endowment, Student Chapter, and Strategic Planning.

Since 2001, the Section has increased its membership to nearly 300 at its peak, with approximately one-third of the membership active in Section activities. With the addition of numerous committees and new members’ interest in serving the Section, it became clear in 2007 that we needed a single point of contact for our new members. Our Member Involvement/Committee Development served that need. However, with the economic downturn in 2008, membership fell off dramatically but is slowly rebounding. Competition is also increasing from other professional organizations for membership and participation.

With a concern for membership as well as ASHE participation, then Section President Pappalardo held two strategic planning sessions, one in 2013 and another in 2014. Goals established in 2013 were to increase revenue, increase membership engagement, and increase membership diversity. In 2014 the goals were reviewed, noting progress and further refining. While engagement and diversity were moving forward, revenue was redefined by its core values – improved operations and increase value to the membership.