Five years ago—upon retiring at age 67, I felt that I still had much to do to give back.
Decades ago, I started working as a CPA in the for-profit sector; halfway through my career, I became a nonprofit executive. So the transition from being Mr. Over-Achiever to being Mr. Retired-Person was difficult. Having grown up in rural Illinois, I saw my dad struggle with several side jobs to make ends meet, all while running a small business during the day. He’d rent out his public address system for local horse shows and auctions in his free time.
I helped out, loving the excitement of an auction. Becoming an auctioneer 55 years later was a no-brainer. So, I graduated from auction school, got licensed, and chose to run charity auctions, where I could give back to a cause… and also get paid!
Then the pandemic hit. Having been through hard knocks before, I decided to wait it out. NAA has been a huge support. Feeling grateful for the opportunity to learn from my colleagues and even competing at my age at the IAC, I have received much more from auctioneering than I’ve put into it—it is time to give back.
The Foundation provides educational scholarships and works to preserve our rich auctioneering history. The Foundation sponsored the entire NAA education program during the pandemic! This Oldie-but-Newbie urges you to give what you can! Thank you for your support.