Submitted by Jimmy Warden
NAPS Secretary/Treasurer
The post-67th National Convention Executive Board meeting was called to order at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4, by Board Chair Tim Ford. Eastern Region Vice President Richard L. Green Jr., gave the invocation. New York Area Vice President Dee Perez led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Secretary/Treasurer Jimmy Warden conducted the roll call of officers; all board members were present.
NAPS President Ivan D. Butts thanked everyone for attending the abbreviated board meeting and welcomed new board members Bill Austin, Dee Perez and John Valuet. He thanked Lisa Douglas and Cindy McCracken for their service and dedication to NAPS. Butts also thanked Past President Brian Wagner for his years of dedicated service to NAPS.
Butts said he is excited about the future of NAPS moving forward. Board members were asked to continue wearing face masks during the meeting in order to remain safe. A few delegates were hospitalized with non-COVID issues at the convention; board members were asked to keep them in their prayers.
Butts referenced establishing the joint USPS/NAPS work teams, part of the latest approved pay package, to help pursue change. Any board members wanting to be part of a work team were asked to send their names to Warden for consideration. Also, any nonboard member who may want to be considered as a subject matter expert and participate on a work team should send their name and area of expertise to Warden.
Butts introduced new board members Dioenis Perez, New York Area; Bill Austin, New England Area; and John Valuet, Northwest Area. Each new member offered a brief bio.
The Executive Board’s “Duties and Responsibilities” and “Ethics Guidelines,” copies of which were in each member’s folder, were discussed. Members were given a NAPS insurance beneficiary designation form to complete.
NAPS Legal Counsel Bruce Moyer stated there was no new information regarding the pending NAPS lawsuit since his update during the convention on Thursday. Oral arguments are scheduled for Sept. 21.
Regarding the latest pay package, the process has been completed and the decision will be posted on the NAPS website. NAPS did not receive everything it requested, but was able to make some important gains. Two key elements were there were no give-backs and a change was made in the supervisor differential adjustments for SCSs and BMU supervisors. NAPS is looking forward to participating in the work teams as part of the pay decision. NAPS’ other issues will be addressed by the work teams.
Members will arrive Oct. 16 for the fall board meeting; the meeting will be Oct. 17-20, with departure on Oct. 21. Following the post-convention board meeting, the resident officers decided to have the three new members come in three days earlier for new-member training to save on travel expenses.
For the good of the association, Northeast Region Vice President Tommy Roma mentioned Puerto Rico as possibly competing to host the NAPS 2026 National Convention. Construction has been completed on the hotels surrounding the convention center.
Butts briefed the board on staffing changes at NAPS Headquarters.
The entire board had concerns regarding the fire alarm evacuation on Friday, Sept. 3, at the convention. Everyone agreed evacuation plans need to be established for all future conventions. The board, along with all sergeants-at-arms, should be briefed before the start of the convention. All delegates should be briefed at the start of the convention, as well.
It was recommended to have the convention facility’s security officer brief the delegates. Plans should be made, but not limited to, evacuation routes, rally points, accounting for all delegates and accommodating delegates on scooters, as well as a plan to bring delegates back into the building, especially those in need of assistance as they exited without their scooters.
Scooters should be annotated as to whose scooter belongs to whom so they may be brought to the lower level. It also was noted there was a shortage of scooters; some members in need were unable to rent a scooter for the convention week.
All board accounts will be updated once all vouchers have been submitted.
There was a concern as to why some candidates’ banners were not displayed. It was recommended for future national conventions to notify all candidates regarding the display of banners. Options were discussed: If banners are displayed on both side walls, then each candidate may have two. If banners only can be displayed on the back wall, as they were at the Gaylord Texan, then, perhaps, candidates should be allowed only one banner.
NAPS must ensure all banners are displayed. There was discussion to possibly allow a timeframe for candidates to enter the convention room to verify their banners are displayed. This issue will be discussed further at the fall board meeting.
Butts thanked all the board members for their work to help make the convention a success. He said he is committed, as he knows all board members are, to move forward for the betterment of the membership. He wished everyone a safe trip home and said he is looking forward to seeing everyone again at the fall meeting.
Michiana Area Vice President Kevin Trayer led the closing prayer. Board Chair Tim Ford moved to adjourn; the motion passed.
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