Coffey Takes NTSA Helm

Kristine Coffey, CPC, CPFA, assumed the presidency of the National Tax-Deferred Savings Association (NTSA) at the opening session of the 30th Anniversary NTSA Summit held in Tampa, FL Jan. 27-29. She is the 24th NTSA President.

Coffey was elected to the NTSA Leadership Council in 2016 and is Of Advice to the NTSA 2019 Elite Advisor Award Judging Committee, which she founded in 2014. She also serves as an American Retirement Association (ARA) Senatorial Director and as a member of the ARA Government Affairs Committee Executive Committee. She is Executive Vice President of CPR Associates, Ltd, SOUTHWEST & MIDWEST.

After Coffey’s installation, current and past leaders of the National Tax-Deferred Savings Association (NTSA) took note of the role the organization plays and the progress it has made.

“Thirty years ago, six individuals gathered together to fashion a dream. In the past 30 years, we have accomplished so much together,” NTSA Executive Director Brent Neese noted in opening remarks.

Providing an overview of the last year, 2018 NTSA President Tamara Indianer reported, “We made a lot of progress, setting the stage in the present for the future.” She outlined how the organization pursued the theme during her tenure in 2018, “Expand, Engage and Educate.”

Membership rose by a hefty 50% in 2018, and now exceeds 6,000, said Indianer. In the past year, she reported to attendees, the NTSA:

• embarked on a new engagement strategy to get members involved;
• staffed volunteer groups;
• established a new education effort;
• launched the NTSA Advocacy  Center;
• upgraded its website; and
• expanded the webcast program to 10 per year, with 1,400 participants.

“This group is capable of doing so much,” said Indianer.

Charting the Course

In her remarks, Coffey outlined the NTSA’s plans for 2019. “Last year, Tamara set us on a strategic path,” she said, telling attendees, “this year, our challenge is to transform.” Coffey stressed that expansion, education and engagement are central to this year’s efforts. “To be viable strategically, we need to expand on our traditions,” she said. Part of that, she noted, is the Retirement Solutions for Public Employees initiative. “That’s our tradition,” she said of the effort to work with and for that sector.

“We have a great opportunity to spread out engagement with people,” and to network internally as well as externally, Coffey said. “There are a lot of things we can do together,” she observed, stressing the importance of volunteering and calling on members to be involved. “How many of you do not have a free hour in the entire year?” she asked.

Coffey highlighted the need to transform and to meet competition, which she called extreme. Noting that “the margins in our business are shrinking,” she encouraged members to take the ERISA non-profit marketplace very seriously. “Be attentive — this is a huge area for us,” she said. She also cited the importance of the 457 plan market and the need to build involvement in it.

The bottom line, she said, is that “there are little puzzle pieces we’re trying to put together,” and part of doing so is by improving focus through a calendar that will allow efforts to be better focused, and by building volunteer opportunities and programs.

“Fourth decade, here we are. Here we come!” Coffey said. “Together we can make it when we say ‘Yes we can!’”