Terri Walker, CAI, BAS, CES

This time of year is always so busy with the beginning of school, ball games, season changes and, of course, work. It appears everyone is always asking for money, or time or an ear of which to bend. Well, I want your ear and time to share some thoughts I have about Foundation giving. 

Our Foundation—yes it does belong to us, it is ours. It’s our education, and our education is great! It’s our networking, and our networking is fabulous. As a matter of fact, I just signed a contract with a client obtained from an NAA member. It’s our future and this is something we really need to think about. The future of the auction industry is important no matter what your age is. The Foundation has given us an opportunity to leave a legacy so the industry we love will continue. Let’s play a role in that continuation today. The best way to play that role is in how we give or plan to give to the Foundation. The giving at the 2022 Conference & Show Pass it Forward was more generous than anyone could have imagined. Thank you to each and every member who was willing to step up and give. My desire is that each member will begin planning now for next year’s Pass it Forward.

As you are thinking about next years Pass it Forward, let me give you some encouragement. The auction industry is strong and each year the Foundation helps to keep us moving in the right direction. The Foundation is very encouraging as scholarships are freely given to many auctioneers who we feel are our industry’s future. This future of auctioneers and auction entrepreneurs are those we want to help when they need help. We want to be available as new education or designation programs are planned. You can help with this. You can give at any moment or start planning for next year’s Conference & Show. YOU WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. It is our responsibility to provide a way, and with you, we can provide that way!

Update from the Foundation President: Sid Miedema, CAI

As president of the National Auctioneers Foundation, and on behalf of the trustees of the Foundation, I want to thank you for your generosity shown during the “Pass it Forward” fund raising campaign at the NAA’s Conference & Show in San Diego. We were amazed at your generous support shown for the mission and work of the National Auctioneers Foundation! The approximately $160,000 pledged will be wisely used for helping to improve educational opportunities for all NAA auctioneers and to provide scholarships for those beginning in the auction industry or for those seeking to improve their auction professionalism.

I also would like to thank you personally for providing me with the honor of serving as president of the National Auctioneer’s Foundation this year. With the collective wisdom of an excellent Board of Trustees, we hope to make a difference for NAA auctioneers again this year.

Also, on behalf of the Board of Trustees and the auctioneer members we represent, we want to thank Lois Zielinski. She has supported the auction industry for more than 16 years working at the NAA headquarters. She has decided it is time to step away from her position with us. We will miss the support and wisdom she has provided to us as the National Auctioneers Foundation Administrator. Lois, we will miss you. We wish you all the best and thanks for all you have done for us!

In closing, our work this year as a board will focus on “Honoring our Legacy – Empowering our Future.” Thank you for the support you have shown us that allows us to carry this out!

Sid Miedema

A message from the NAA CEO: Aaron Ensminger, CAE

Since coming back to NAA as CEO, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of being able to work with aspects of NAA with which I was never able to before. One of those groups is, of course, the National Auctioneers Foundation. Did you know the Foundation has raised enough for their endowment to effect true change in both the industry and the association? 

We’re all used to the Foundation funding scholarships, which they’ve done for quite a few years. What a lot of folks don’t realize, however, is that since 2020, the Foundation’s endowment has been able to help fund education speakers for NAA. This has affected the quality of education for all members, and it’s elevated everyone’s experience.  

This is even more amazing when you realize that the Foundation isn’t funded by massive corporate donations, as it is with many public foundations. Instead, the National Auctioneers Foundation has been funded exclusively by individual donations from auction professionals just like you. 

So, to all of you who have donated to the Foundation over the years, all I can do is say, “Thank you.” Your sacrifice, your assistance, and your caring has moved everything forward for NAA. Your support has made it possible for NAA to survive and even thrive through the COVID-19 pandemic; it’s helped hundreds of folks get started and learn to build a strong business in this industry we all love; and, today it’s been able to help the entire membership and industry by bringing world class speakers from outside the industry to NAA events so we can learn from the best. 

And to everyone reading this looking for that final push to become a donor, let me simply ask you to please take this moment to join one of the most exclusive and the most valuable groups of NAA members: National Auctioneers Foundation donors. Your donation, remembered forever, will continue to help the industry and auctioneers everywhere for decades after your donation. 

This organization has helped make the NAA what it is today. Help us continue to create excellence by becoming a donor today!

Marjorie Hartman, CAI, AMM

I started in the auction industry more than 20 years ago with Matt Hurley and Hurley Auctions in Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Matt always urged me to attend NAA conferences and educational seminars to learn more about the business and to always be on the cutting edge of new technology.

I never knew then how much this industry and the people in it would affect me—not only in business, but in the way I live my life. I strive to always do the right thing and to help as many people as I can.

I just recently graduated CAI 2022—a feat I had my doubts of completing. The camaraderie, encouragement, and support I’ve received from fellow NAA members over the years have been incredible. Now with my recent blindness and visual handicap, this has shown me that I can accomplish anything and so much more with them alongside me.

For all these reasons, I’ve supported the National Auctioneers Foundation and will continue to do so in the hopes that even one person finds the success and fulfillment this industry has brought me. Anytime I struggled or doubted myself, my dad would always say, “Carpe diem Marge”—seize the day!

Testimonial: Chris Dudley, CAI, AARE, GPPA

I have been in the auction business for several decades, focused primarily in estates. As a past president of the Florida Auctioneers Association and NAA member since the beginning, I have tried to participate in so many of the education opportunities.

I love the business, so when life transitions hit and I needed to redirect my career, it was the generosity of the National Auctioneers Foundation that helped. Having the support of the Foundation, both financially and professionally, prompted me to move forward with my CAI adventure. I am so thankful to have graduated from CAI in Indianapolis this year. 

My one piece of advice is do not wait to attend NAA education events or to apply for scholarships. I wish I had done this at the beginning of my career. I encourage those wanting to take the next step to jump in with both feet. It will give you experience, knowledge and relationships that will move you into the next level. Personally, I look forward to paying it forward with the Foundation. 
Thank you.