FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Phillip Russo, CAE

NAFA

125 Village Blvd., Suite 200

Princeton, NJ 08540

609.986.1055

fax 609.986.452.8004

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NAFA Proposes Changing Name to Fleet Management Association as Part of Branding Strategy

Princeton, NJ, May 7,  — “What’s in a name?” For NAFA, the answer to that question, asked long ago in William Shakespeare’s famous play, Romeo and Juliet, was made known at Sunday’s Annual Business Meeting at the association’s annual conference in Houston, Texas.

Outgoing NAFA President Charlie Gibbens announced that as part of NAFA’s year-long branding initiative, the proposed name of the association will be the Fleet Management Association. The new name will help to better define the association and clearly differentiate it from similar organizations. It will also serves to resolve two inconsistencies in the current name.

“The association is now international, as evidenced by the inclusion of our Canadian members, and the new name allows for expanded international membership. In addition, the term Administrator no longer accurately reflects the many job titles indicating higher levels of leadership and management found in many fleets today,” Gibbens said. “The name change puts more emphasis on what we do.”

In addition to changing the name of the association, NAFA also will be altering the name of the annual conference, currently known as the Fleet Management Institute and Law Enforcement Conference. Instead, it will be termed the Fleet Management Association Institute and Expo, which will reinforce the brand identity of the association.

As part of the continuing effort to reinforce the association’s brand identity, NAFA intends to use this naming philosophy for other association products and services. In addition, NAFA has created a Brand Oversight Committee and has enlisted a consultant’s services to survey members on several branding issues during the current conference.

Proposed changes are now being market-tested – and most importantly, member-tested. “It is vital that we seek the perspective from our core membership,” stated Phil Russo, NAFA Executive Director. “Over the past year, NAFA’s Board of Governors has researched this topic to develop this initiative. Now, membership feedback will enhance these decisions to further the future goals and strategies of our organization.”

Feedback will be brought back to the Branding Oversight Committee for full consideration. Later this year, NAFA members will then be asked to vote on proposed changes to conclude this initiative.

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