2024 is officially here and your friends at the North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA) would like to be one of the first to wish you a Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed your holiday season and are excited to kick off another year of growth and collaboration with us.
On the heels of a successful 2023, which included the annual Traders Market event in which over 1,300 lumber industry professionals were able to attend, NAWLA is excited to be diving deeper into member initiatives that have been top of mind for the NAWLA Board of Directors and also begin work on two new member benefits.
In welcoming its new executive director, Matt Bruno, to the fold in November, NAWLA is looking to further strengthen the relationships it has with its members in 2024. A big part of this will be through the continued development of national and international networking events such as Wood Basics, Traders Market, Leadership Summit and the Executive Management Institute, but also regional meetings in which NAWLA leaders can continue to build and foster relationships with fellow members on a more local level.
Additionally, NAWLA is excited to be offering two new member-exclusive benefits this year, the first of which is a mentorship program. In response to member feedback on the need for entry-level industry guidance, NAWLA has embarked on an initiative to develop a mentoring program in which members who are seasoned industry professionals will be matched with members who are more junior in their careers.
At its core, the mentorship program will help to equip junior members with industry tools to successfully grow in their careers, create communities of colleagues at similar and different stages of their careers from different companies, and further NAWLA’s mission of helping the industry as a whole by helping its members grow. The first class of mentees consists of the 2023 Young Emerging Lumber Professional Program (YELP) class and the program will officially kick off this spring.
The second member benefit that will be launching at the end of 2024 is NAWLA University (NAWLA U). Designed to support continued learning and professional development, the launch of this learning management system (LMS) will allow members to access webinars and educational materials on the latest industry best practices all in one easy-to-use, centralized place. Members are encouraged to watch their emails for details as the year progresses.
NAWLA looks forward to continuing to serve its members this year and foster industry growth. Not a member yet? Learn more about the various membership opportunities NAWLA has to offer and join today at nawla.org.
Join Us for the 2024 NAWLA Leadership Summit!
Register now for the 2024 Leadership Summit, taking place in person at the El Conquistador & Spa in Tucson, Arizona. Join fellow executive-level decision-makers for this engaging, three-day program in which industry leaders will share trends, best practices and insights that will help you grow revenue, reduce costs and improve overall business performance. Featuring presentations from Ian Fillinger, president and CEO of Interfor, Brian Luoma, president and CEO of The Westervelt Company, Claudia St. John, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, president of Affinity HR Group, and Ali Wolf, chief economist of Zonda, this year’s event is one you will not want to miss. Register today at nawla.org/Events/Leadership-Summit.
