Greetings NAIFA-North Dakota Members.  As we wind down on the first quarter of 2022, I hope the year is going fabulous for you, your family, and your business.  2022 is shaping up to be a great year.

Your NAIFA-North Dakota leadership team is very dedicated and working hard to make our Chapter better every day.  I am proud of this team and privileged to work with them. We met in Jamestown in February to strategize and set our goals for 2022, and we decided we will change things up a little this year. A marketing calendar has been set and you will start seeing weekly blog posts. There will be YAT Profile Spotlights, Member Spotlights, updates from committees and board members, and other useful information. If you have an idea for an article, or if you have one you would like to submit, please send it to info@naifa-nd.org. You should already be subscribed to receive a weekly blog update, if you would like to receive them more frequently, you may make your choice and submit it on the right-hand side of the blog page.

Also new this year is NAIFA-North Dakota Connect.  If you read my articles or listen to me in other meetings, I always encourage members to attend at least one NAIFA event each month.  I would put this at the top of the list and follow it up with NAIFA Live.  North Dakota Connect is scheduled for the same day as NAIFA-Live.  You can hop on the Zoom meeting at 12:00 Central and visit with NAIFA members from across the state.  At 12:15 sharp, you can hear a 3-minute blast from all of our leaders and affiliates to get updated with what is going on with NAIFA across the great state of North Dakota.  This meeting ends at 12:45 sharp, disconnect, take a quick break and then hop on NAIFA Live at 1:00 PM Central.  I challenge everyone to give this a shot.  Just click the link to sign up and enjoy the fun. Our next NAFA-North Dakota Connect is Wednesday, March 16^th.  If you haven't already done so, you may register at North Dakota Events.

On May 23^rd and 24^th, eight North Dakota leaders will be attending the Congressional Conference in Washington DC.  We call this NAIFA’s “Day on the Hill”.  We will continue to build our relationships with our North Dakota Congressmen and work hard to protect the interests of our members and the clients they serve. NAIFA's Congressional Conference is for all members, and we would look forward to the opportunity to have you join us! NAIFA-North Dakota has set aside some funds to help with expenses.  Please contact me if you would like more information.  

We are in the process of finalizing dates and a venue for our annual Golf Outing to be held in Fargo this summer. We are also close to announcing plans for a one-day Sales Congress and Annual Meeting to be held in Bismarck toward the end of September. This event will be in lieu of a state convention and will take you away from your business for a shorter period of time. 2022 will bring a renewed focus on our Affiliates and their activities. I encourage you to hold a watch party for North Dakota Connect and NAIFA Live. Even if you start out with two people attending, it is a start!   We are also in process of determining when we will hold our 2023 NAIFA-North Dakota Legislative Day.

APEX is the new Sales Summit for the American Advisor. This event takes the place of what we used to know as NAIFA Performance + Purpose and before that, the NAIFA annual conference. APEX is an event to allow you to fully focus on you and your performance so that you can return back to your practice refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to be your absolute best for your clients and agency/firm colleagues. APEX will be held at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona from August 16-18. The speaker lineup is out of this world and this is a great investment for you and your business.

Finally,  thank YOU for your membership in NAIFA. Membership is very important to the big picture of advocacy and your business.  Let everyone know that you belong to NAIFA.  I let all my clients know that I am involved in NAIFA and that I fight hard to protect their benefits.  I am proud of this, and you should be too.  Please continue to reach out to your peers and colleagues to join our great organization.

Please reach out anytime if you have questions and we will see you on NAIFA-North Dakota Connect!

Lyle M. Kraft
President
NAIFA-North Dakota
701-721-5228