NTSA Wowcast 2.0
Nathan Glassey Talks Excitment Around NTSA Summit and Legislative Influence
Welcome to Wowcast 2.0. My name is Randy Aranowitz. I am a former president of NTSA. I have the privilege of being able to interview many Natsum members and ARA members throughout the organization. In these Wowcasts we are going to be able to talk about all sorts of ideas leading into practice management how some of our people became as successful as they have become. We will be talking about retirement planning, advisory services, strategic planning, how some of our leaders have built agencies and firms over a period of time, how they have dealt with challenges of recruiting people into the industry, retaining staff, etc. So in this series we are looking forward to meeting a lot of people. Already Under Wowcast 1.0, there are about 50 Wowcasts that were previously done and members certainly have access to be able to go to the NTSA website and to be able to pull down any of those previous Wowcasts.
Speaker 1:Just so you know a little bit more about my background, I have been with Cades Margolis for over 30 years. I am embarrassed to say it seems like just yesterday I retired as executive vice president of Cades Margolis, but I am still an active financial advisor. I have been a financial advisor for the past over 33 years. I have been on many NTSA committees, been on the lead advisor council. I have been, as I said before, past president and I really enjoy meeting people and talking to people and finding out what makes them tick. I am hoping that you, the listener, will be able to get nuggets of information from the Wowcast as we move through this, and it is helpful in your business career. I have the privilege of welcoming Nate Lassie, executive director of NTSA. Nate, I know you are a busy person these days. You have a conference that is coming up. There is all sorts of legislative stuff that you are doing. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to be able to talk to us today. Welcome.
Speaker 2:Thanks, randy. It is great to be here and looking forward to the opportunity.
Speaker 1:Could you maybe start with your background? I know you are from Utah and you went to school in Utah. How did you go from being in Utah to get involved with NTSA?
Speaker 2:That is a great question. Opposite sides of the world, for sure. I was born and raised in Utah. I lived there my whole life up until the last little while where I kind of split time now in Virginia and Utah. I was working in the industry for the past 22-23 years. That time I was at a local third party administrator in Utah and had done that. Starting in college when I was going to the University of Utah, Started working for that local TPA and did that for quite a while Administering retirement plans, anything from 4-3B plans, 4-7 plans, 4-1K plans, even dabble a little bit in cafeteria administration. But we kind of covered everything During that time started volunteering for the NTSA, attending the NTSA summit, but jumping on committees. The PEC committee was one of my favorites doing things there. Of course, GAC was wonderful to gather information and participate with our friends like Sue Dill and everyone that was involved there.
Speaker 1:GAC is the government.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sorry, government affairs committee, yeah, just a lot of committees along the way Did that for a while. Then, near the end of my time there at National Benefit Services, I had been asked to be on the leadership council of NTSA. So served on the leadership council for about six months. But then after that six-month period, well, mr Graff gave me a call and asked me if I could come and start working full-time with the American Retirement Association as the executive director of NTSA. So I thought, hey, I'm doing all this volunteer work. I might as well get paid for it. That sounds like a great idea. But what a great opportunity to work in the advocacy world and support what our industry does and try to get it to the next level. That's my goal here when I took the position.
Speaker 1:Fantastic way of getting started. When I think at Utah and maybe I have the wrong impression I think of expert skiers, are you?
Speaker 2:a good skier, oh shoot. Well, this is a little bit sad. I may be one of the worst Utah dads ever. I used to ski three to four times a week when I was growing up. I started when I was in junior high. My parents didn't ski anything like that, but I went up and started skiing with my friends. There was a resort that if you had above a certain GPA they would give you a free season pass. So everyone would do really well the first semester of school so they could get their free season pass, and then half the people would spend their whole time skiing and would lose their season pass after the holidays.
Speaker 2:Me and my friends, we were good at school so we did all of it and we would go up every day well, two to three days a week after school and then all day Saturday and just spend time on the mountain just skiing all day. So I did a ton. Then I left and served a church mission and came home and skied a couple times. After that went on and got married and haven't skied since. So it has been over 20 years since I got back on the mountain. I never took my kids up and skied. I have four kids, and none of them have ever skied, so I am not a really good Utah dad. We like to go down to southern Utah on waterski, but snow skiing wasn't our thing after that.
Speaker 1:This question might not be politically correct, but I will ask it anyway. Is it all because of the marriage that you stopped skiing? You better say no.
Speaker 2:Well shoot, my ex-wife was not a big fan of skiing, so no, we did not. Another was money. It's not cheap to get up on the mountain with four kids. That just wasn't really a thing. The first three of my kids are all girls and they really didn't have the desire to be outdoors. Interestingly enough, my daughters are a lot more. They'd rather be on the beach than they would in the mountains, so we lived in the wrong state for that, but they're all still there and they have grown to love it. Because because the outdoors, all the adventures you can do in the outdoors in Utah, is just just insane. It's an impressive place to be, but being up and skiing was just never their deals.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, yeah, could you go ahead and describe your role as executive director. What do you really do? What's a day in the light life of Nate classy? I?
Speaker 2:Just I just sit around and talk to people like Randy and Joey? No, it's, it's. It's quite an adventure taking on this, this role. I was Maybe not a hundred percent prepared for what it was, but I had a couple of good friends reach out to me, people who had done this role in the past, like like Brent Nice and Chris de grassy. When, when the opportunity came about, I also spoke a bit with with Mark Luckendill, who had the position before me as well and and gained understanding from what they did and how they handled the position. I do it obviously a little bit differently than they did, but but a day in the life, oh, it was.
Speaker 2:One of the great parts about this role is that it it ranges every day.
Speaker 2:There's some days that I'm focused 100% on a bill that we have going on in in a state and Trying to get out to that state and discuss with the legislators in the state what is going on with the bill and how we can help move it forward or how we can stop it if it's something that's going to hurt the American public, and so so that's that. That's that can be one day. Another day can be Visiting one of the strategic partners and helping them understand why we do what we do and and how we can work and partner better with them. I've also spent a lot of time working with the individual members, providing training and education on our our Cres or certified retirement education specialist program, or or or just working on the summit that we have upcoming here in a couple of weeks. So a Lot of great opportunities there. So every day is is quite an adventure, and then any day that I'm not doing those things, I'm here in the office working with all the individuals in the office who really make things work.
Speaker 2:Without them, we don't have, we don't have an NTSA, we don't have all the things that we have behind the scenes. So so, working with our, with each of the individual departments, from marketing to to conferences, to education, and helping them understand what, what we are building and how we can build towards something just more positive as we move forward. So so, the day a day in the life is Is very interesting. A lot of times I'll wake up and look at my phone to see what state I'm in and what time it is, and how I can, how I can go make the world a little bit better place, and that's that's what I get to do?
Speaker 1:I assume you're doing a lot of traveling in your possession?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I still actually still actually live in Utah, but I Spend my work week in Virginia and then visit Capitol Hill quite regularly while I'm here in Virginia. If I'm not here or in Utah, I mean right now we have we have a lot of stuff going on in Illinois, so I spent some time in Springfield, illinois. There's a lot of things going on in Massachusetts, so I've been running up there and taking care of things in Massachusetts, and then we have our upcoming summit in in San Diego, california, so I'll be spending some time there. But yeah, pretty much every day is is a travel day, so I've learned to work on the airplane and wherever I am and make sure I can just set up shop and and get things done all day, every day.
Speaker 1:And a little bit. We'll talk about the, the summit that's coming up, but I have a couple other questions. How do you go from your role prior to be executive director to getting into lobbying and legislative activities, and it seems to me that is Maybe a slightly different mindset. Is it a different set of skills? Do you acquire that over a period of time, trial and error? How does that work?
Speaker 2:Yeah, great question it is. It is about the exact opposite skill set is what I had before. I had spent those 20 years working with bringing with teams, which was which is maybe the overlap right understanding how teams work and and then gaining just a, just an in-depth knowledge of how plans work and that. That's kind of the, the overlap that has helped in my role, because meeting with lobbyists is or meet, meeting with the legislators is 100% different than Meeting with a team or administering a plan or doing the things that I did on a daily basis for 20 years More work on the computer, behind the scenes, making things, making things work, making things compliant to. Now going forward and explaining things to a Legislator, someone who really doesn't know about a fourth or B plan or a 457 plan or how these things work. So it is a different skill set.
Speaker 2:I think the the benefit that I've brought is having that in-depth knowledge as how the plans work.
Speaker 2:So, although I've had to learn a lot of the political world and sit down and have that discussion with, with each of those, those legislators, the, the ability to sit down and have a discussion and say you know, this is how a plan works. I've done this for 20 years. I understand how these things are supposed to work and how they can work with each of the individual, each of the individual members, each of the individual employees, and a plan sponsor Helps them understand. Oh, this is this is someone who's done this for years, not just someone who's been a lobbyist for years and so so, yeah, it's been, it's been helpful to have that background and that knowledge, but it is a different. It's a different skill set. So I've enjoyed the last two years now gaining that skill set and finding an opportunity to, to strengthen something that I didn't know how to do before, particularly and and now be a being able to build upon that with the knowledge that I gained for those 20 years working at working at TPA.
Speaker 1:What about the relationship building portion of Lobbying and perhaps getting to know some of the key people and the staff in order to be able to express the views of ARA? And that's it.
Speaker 2:Well, that's been. That's been nice to have some of the people who've gone before right to have to have will Hansen, who runs our government affairs team here at at a RA. Andy Remo, who did things before, is since moved on to another company, but but his knowledge and ability has been an extreme help for me. Together that, that insight, that knowledge and be able to work with individuals On the on the political level, right, but having having the experience and relationships with people All across the country you know a lot of it on Capitol Hill when it comes to those two, but but being able to then sit with with the National Association of State Treasures to help work with the treasures from each, each state and then, and then gaining the relationships with Local firms here to set up meetings with lobbyists on in individual states, that's been a. That's been a big growth opportunity as well, because because what we've learned, what we learn is is, of course, there's the things here on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, that that we can do federally, but a lot of our stuff, when it comes to for three, forty seven plans is Is all state-based. So creating a relationship on a state-based Relationships, much different than here on Capitol Hill. What we're able to do there is we have a group that we work with that sets us up with lobbyists in those individual states, and that's why, then, go spend time, and I spent a Couple of days in Springfield, illinois, when we had major issues going on there, and it was able to sit with with our lobbyists, who introduced me to the teachers unions and the Asbo group that is in Illinois, and then and then took me to each of the individual legislators themselves and and we had discussions with them, just sat down and got to know them and and created a relationship.
Speaker 2:I've done the same in the state of Washington with things that are going on there as well, and so so that that, to me, has been very eye-opening but also Extremely rewarding to be able to sit with people who really are just looking out for the best interest of of Americans or, in in those situations, of People the people from Illinois or the people from from Washington. They just care about those people and want to make their lives better, and to be able to sit down and have a discussion, create a relationship and help them understand that that's what our industry is about. It's extremely rewarding. It's extremely rewarding, um, but also taxing right the ability to create those relationships and work on those and and Especially if we have a different point of view, it it's. It's fun, but it also is is time-consuming, and and a lot of effort goes into Making sure they understand why we do what we do and how we can improve upon that the system as a whole.
Speaker 1:What have you enjoyed most in your role as executive director? What kind of surprised you about the position that that you really enjoyed?
Speaker 2:Oh, you know that's, that's a. That's a great question. Actually, someone asked me this the other day and and I have been Ruminating that's a big word for me, but I've been ruminating on that for, uh, for a couple of weeks now and um, Um.
Speaker 2:Well, the the hard part is there's so many things that I actually really enjoy and, and so, to break it down as to the thing that I enjoy the most, I would have to say working with the individual members is what I enjoy the most. Um, having that you know my relationship with you and and having that ability to sit down and, like I told you, I looked up to you for years from my position before and just volunteering for Uh, for the ntsa, and seeing people like you that those who are the the mount rush more of the ntsa, and and then to be able to sit down and create that relationship and see why you do what you do.
Speaker 2:And did for all the all those years, like that was a big deal to me and and and I still enjoy that to be able to, to work with, with each of those who put in so much time and effort and energy For free, right, I mean you just do these things and to me it is. It blows my mind. I mean, I know I volunteered for years and years, but I never did anything to the level as to what so many of these others have done and continue to do. And it is. It's so rewarding to see that the joy when we accomplish something big, or or just the hard work and the effort Even when we don't accomplish those big things.
Speaker 2:I just I love spending that time with the members and that that was, that was something to me, that, although it's not always easy, right, we have 6,000 members and they all think a little bit differently and something extremely differently I've really enjoyed that time of of working with the members. So I would have to say, if I had to narrow it to one thing, that would be the thing that has been surprisingly my. My favorite part of this, of this role, is working with the members.
Speaker 1:How about the opposite question? By the way, I'll pay you your $20 for your kind words. How about the opposite question? What do you like the least about the position?
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm still looking for that, randy, I, I, I don't know, like there's things that are tough. I'm tired a lot, I travel a lot. There's there's a lot of those opportunities. One of the things I don't really enjoy is is if we have a member or a legislator who just just despises or hates what we do and and trying to help them understand that there's two sides to every story, that there's there's multiple ways to look at a problem and come up with a solution, I think, I think that's my biggest struggle.
Speaker 2:I, I, I have that, and we all know that that exists in in our industry, that there are, there are those who see who think that we do things the exact wrong way, and sitting down with them. I would actually enjoy sitting down with them to have that discussion, but when that's done you know, behind the curtain per se is is is probably my biggest frustration. I, I, would, I would rather, I'd rather sit down and hash it out with someone than I would have things go behind behind the scenes and cause those, cause, those problems because, quite frankly, that that's how we hurt the industry versus how we help the industry, and so so, yeah, that's. That's been the part that I've struggled with the most Are those who feel like we do things wrong but don't really want to have the discussion, an actual discussion to to figure out how we can do things better.
Speaker 1:What has been your role in planning the national conference and executing the the strategy for for the conference?
Speaker 2:Well, that's a I say this every time. It's a good question. That is a good question. I I thought when I was taking this role that I was like that I was the guy right and that I had to pick where we were going. And I had to. I had to plan all the agenda and put everything together and do all those.
Speaker 2:I had never served on the summit committee and man, that that is some of the people I am so grateful for all the things that they do in putting together our, our agenda, the program, everything else.
Speaker 2:I get to kind of take a backseat, which is fun, because we have an amazing conferences team here at at the NTSA we had, we had Elizabeth who did so much for us and has since moved on, but you know to be able to just rely on her to get all those things done and then to turn to that NTSA summit committee and just let them run with with their ideas to create the best program available.
Speaker 2:I'm really just there as a support, which is awesome, and they asked me to show up and speak it a couple of things and wonderful and glad to do so and it has been. It's been eye opening to see how much weight is pulled by that committee. So so my role itself honestly show up, provide ideas, provide some, some background, and then and then sometimes say you know what, that's something we we can't do or we can do, and provide that, that, that insight, because you know there's budget constraints or there's there's areas that we just can't cross a line, or anything like that. That's my main, my main role. And then and then looking at the agenda and saying, hey, what if we added this or added that? And then I let the team run with it. And yeah, between my conference's team and the summit committee, it's amazing. It's amazing all the things that they do.
Speaker 1:You know, I've been involved with NTSA for well over 30 years and I've always thought the national conference was one of the best things that NTSA did. It always created an opportunity for people to be able to get together and network with people that do the same thing that you do. However, maybe they do it a little bit differently, Maybe they've enjoyed success in a different manner, and the conference has always created opportunities to spur that type of networking and discussion. From that and to your point any of the people that are listening to this Wildcast they're able to be on any of these committees, right? What are the committees that could be involved with NTSA? Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 2:I'm going to have to pull up each of those committees to make sure that I have. I don't leave any out, but that's a great segue into the summit for me. I think that we've done. Let me pull this up real quick here. Well, let's talk about the summit for a second and then I'll get to your question. There I agree with you 100%. The summit is one of the greatest opportunities that we have to gather everyone together, and we have.
Speaker 2:Quite frankly, I've been joining the summit for probably 10, 12, 15 years, something like that, without missing any years in there, because the first time I went it blew me away with the knowledge that was there, but also the friendship, the relationships that were created with so many different people. And although I was kind of a young pup, I just kind of sat back and listened and learned and took in so many things over the years until I started to jump in and become a little bit more involved. And that's where you get into these committees, right, as you were talking about. We'll jump on those committees, but, quite frankly, one of the things that I'm a little bit concerned about is we usually have about 200 people at our summit. We have 6,000 members. That's not the number that I'd like to have there Now. Do I want 6,000 at our summit? Probably not. I love the intimate setting that we have, where it's those who come back every year and want that time, and want that expertise and that experience and rubbing the shoulders with each other. You know it's such a big deal to bring everyone together that I wish that we could increase that number and looking for ways to do so to get 10% of our membership base there on an annual basis, because I gained so much from that over the years that I want others to get that too.
Speaker 2:Now I'll tell you one of the things that I did learn as I went for years and years and years and I started to get to the point where I thought you know, we're learning the same thing year after year and it's becoming a little bit monotonous and there was no need for the courses. Really, I actually could have just gone for two days just to go and be with my friends and enjoy that time that we had. And then I decided to bring a couple of employees from my previous job with me and we brought the four or five on one of the last summits that I went to when I was working there and I sat down with my group afterwards and I said okay, you know, what do you think of the summit? I was thinking the answers would be I was great to talk to people and I really enjoyed that, and that wasn't the answer.
Speaker 2:I learned so much over these couple of days of summit that it was like I have to go go back and digest everything that I took in, because there was so much knowledge to be to be gained, and that's that's where I think we're missing out is we need to get people to come and attend and see what exists so they can really grow, because this is a great opportunity there. Now, your other question that you had was about my committees, and Let me jump in on that. There we go, just make sure I don't miss any of these committees, because because there's there's plenty and there's plenty of opportunities, because that this is how we grow in the industry. We have I think it's seven committees that you can be a part of, and the first one is that conference steering committee or the, the NTSA summit committee.
Speaker 2:If you want to, if you want to change up what we're learning and listening to and figuring out how to grow together, that's the one to become a part of. Join that summit committee. It is also the most time-consuming committee. We meet regularly throughout the year because we start planning for 2025 summit the week after we finish our 2024 summit, so a lot of time goes into that. But it's a great opportunity to To to have your voice heard and get the opportunity out there on the summit.
Speaker 1:Who is the current chair of that committee for this conference?
Speaker 2:So we always co-chair that committee and the the current chair that one of the co-chairs is always the NTSA president. So Tony Whaley is a co-chair of that. That committee is. She's our current 2024 NTSA president. She has a co-chair as well and we always have that co-chair join for for the the two years and and that co-chair is Jennifer process. Jennifer process, out of Illinois, with Lincoln, fine Lincoln investment is, is currently on that committee with her. So, and then we have a group of about About five to eight people that join that committee as well and then bring our conferences team in and myself and we together build out what we're doing for the the summer. We also then have the award judging committee. Award judging committee takes care of our, our two large awards that we do, which is the elite advisor award and and and the Ford Volunteer Service Award, which I'm actually a proud holder of, the full Ford Volunteer Service Award, something that I that I was very proud to receive near the end of my career there at National Benefit Services.
Speaker 1:And Chris Coffey really helped to create both of those awards.
Speaker 2:She did and and I don't know that this has been announced, but it will be by the time this is released. But our friend, chris Coffey, is receiving the Ford Volunteer Service Award this year, which I think rounds everything out for her. I believe she's received just about every word we could we could give her, but she is, she's amazing in everything that she she has done. That's one of those Mount Rushmore people I was talking to you about. The problem is our Mount Rushmore has has a little bit more than the actual Mount Rushmore, but but Chris is one of those who. She's one of the first people who called me when I received this, this role, and and has been there ever since and it's just a wonderful woman who has done so much for our industry.
Speaker 1:I've worked with Chris Coffey for many, many years on the summit committee on the Richard Ford Volunteer Award the lead advisor committee and Chris was always instrumental in moving things along and laying down the objectives of the committee and seeking feedback and everything, and I think it's wonderful that that she's going to receive.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that makes me. It makes me very happy. She's also received our Bob B Schiller Award, which is, which is the lifetime award, the largest award that we give out is not actually done by the committee, so that one I didn't. I left that one out of the award judging committee on purpose. That one's, that one's presented and given by the president each year If they, if they, desired to give that award out, and so that that one will be awarded this year at Summit as well. So, looking forward to that experience.
Speaker 2:We also have the government affairs committee, which is, which is really one that isn't a volunteer, an asked volunteer committee. That's kind of a yeah, it's one where you're kind of assigned to that, that committee. We ask you to join that Because that's that, that's that really steers what we do in government affairs, but it's a great committee to be a part of. If you have that opportunity, I say, jump all over that one. We have our membership development committee, which is the name says it all. We are trying to Strengthen our membership, develop it and get an opportunity to, to get everyone involved, because of those 6,000 members that I mentioned before we're, you know, we're not sure that all 6,000 know that their members or know what they receive, and so that membership committee helps us to engage with all of our members to help them understand what it is we do and what they can receive. Professional education committee is the one who the ones who put out all of our articles in our NTSA advisor that Everyone receives on Thursday afternoon. Generally, they help write those articles, put things together there. They help put together webcasts. That we do once a month, 10 months out of the year, is what we generally do with those webcasts, and so that that committee is what puts all that together. So, again, if you want a voice Outside of the summit, that's a great way to jump in and say, hey, I want to get an article published, I want to. I want to help choose what webcasts we're learning and and how we can all go together. That's a great committee to be part of there.
Speaker 2:Business intelligence no offense to anyone on this one, because I was I actually chaired this committee, but that's kind of the nerd farm a little bit. Right. It's those of us who get together and think of the, the things that that we can pull together to provide white papers. Essentially, our 2018 white paper Is one that came from that committee. We had the apples oranges that just came out of that committee. We're we're updating that 2018 paper will be updated in 24. I was hoping to have it by the summit. It's not quite there, but but that's what that committee does is it puts it puts together business intelligence, gathers information from from all of our plan sponsors across the country and then and then Puts that and then calculates that data into what, what, what it means, what it means to the industry and how we can improve the industry. So a great group there. We also then have some regional networking groups. This has been a thing that that was kind of bigger in the past, but but we'd like to work on and build out as we move forward again in the future to help just kind of regionally, things grow together. And part of that is is, you know, like what's happening?
Speaker 2:Crest we don't have crests here listed as a specific committee, but but actually that's not true. Recently we voted to put that in as its own committee. So crest. Crest was a committee underneath the professional education committee and has now become its own committee. It's grown into that, that opportunity. So crests a certified retirement education specialist. It's something we spend a lot of time on try to improve that and actually for me it really helps when I go meet with the legislator and say you know, we're improving the industry. This is one of the things that we've done. We've created this where we're training all of our members about the program is a whole, not just for three plans, but the program is a whole, and this is how we can go out and educate Educators so they can work towards retirement. So so that's become a big, a big opportunity with with crests. Yeah, those are our committees. Sorry, long winded.
Speaker 1:So if a member who's listening to this wow cast Is interested in any of these committees, who should they contact? How do they, how do they indicate interest?
Speaker 2:Well, I'll have a different answer next week. We have hired a replacement, finally, and so that replacement will start next Wednesday by the time this cast is out. I'm sure that that's out of date, but but that will be Tia, that they can contact and work with her on that, or Myself, of course, if they reach out to me, I'll get the ball rolling there. So so between T and I we can do that. We also have you know the place on the website. If you go to the NTSA website, it's NTSA hyphen net org. If you go there, then you can. You can click on on the be a volunteer page and it kicks that information to me and my team so that we can get that that all updated.
Speaker 1:And what is your email address name?
Speaker 2:Yeah, my email address is easy. It's Ed and glassy. That's gla, sse y and glassy. At us, a retirement org terrific.
Speaker 1:Hopefully, maybe you'll get some volunteers as a result of this.
Speaker 2:I love it, I would be. That would be great. That's I mean we. We don't exist without volunteers. Let's be honest, right, like that's how things get done. We, we could go out there and advocate, but that would be about it if we, if we didn't have volunteers. So I will beg for volunteers all day, every day.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you have the agenda handy for the Conference, but could you review what's gonna be happening at the conference?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do have that handy, just because I was Expecting you might ask that question. But yeah, we have. We have a lot going on for our conference and it's about, if I do math on air, it's about 14, 14 different courses, which some of them are concurrent, and so then so it's it's 12 credit hours that are that are available and and and it ranges. It ranges from tech to to advisor advice. Essentially, and Very, very interesting, what we did this year. It was a little bit different when we've done in years past. We decided that it was. It was a little bit. To me. It was tough to decide do I want to go to one of the technical track or do I want to go to the advisor track, because there's so much good information going on in both areas, and so we actually combined the majority of our of our summit into main stage topics, and those main stage topics are then built together of panel of panelists that are both advisors and technical, and hopefully in a way of combining everything together to bring everyone together. We have four breakouts this year, whereas in years past we had seven or eight breakouts, and so we have four, which means that only only two different times you can go opposite ways into different courses and so. So there's two specific technical workshops and two specific advisor workshops and other than that, we have ten great sessions that are, which I think some of those sessions are doubled in time. So it's really I think we have seven, seven general sessions, which equal about ten credit hours worth of time. Of course, we'll have our legislative update. We get to bring in Will Hansen, which sits next to me here in the office and he's Chief Government Affairs Officer of the American Retirement Association, so he spends a lot of time on the hill and travel in the country as well, and he's gonna come in and provide an update of what's taking place federally. I will join him and and provide information on what's taking place state by state and then some federal stuff as well, as that does lead over into what we're doing, and so we're spending a lot of time on that, making sure everyone understands what's going on there. That's the main thing on day one.
Speaker 2:Day two opens up with information on Secure 2.0, which you know is is still just overa year old, but some of those things have not even been implemented yet. So it's going to be a great topic gaining information on Secure 2.0. We'll jump into some workshops from there. Like I said, those are a little bit split up and then and then and then we're gonna focus on some AI. So we have AI information, which is which is a big deal to gather that AI nowadays. Quite frankly, there was a lot of things, even even just in chat GPT, that people were like, hey, can I get information on these, on these sessions that we're doing? And I hadn't got them back to them and my team came back and said, hey, we did chat GPT, this is what it looks like. And I was like that's better than what I could have written. So so gaining that insight and knowledge is gonna be very helpful. We're gonna be that from the main stage and have someone come in who is the person that's presenting that?
Speaker 2:So we have two different classes on AI. One is Sashi, who has presented for us before, and he's also gonna tie in kind of the financial landscape with AI, and so that's a. That's a huge opportunity there. And then our second one on AI is sorry, is on the next day, so let me jump to Tuesday. Well, maybe that was on Sunday and I breezed past it, so I mean Monday.
Speaker 1:Oh, I should have these things off, but they're gonna be talking about how AI is potentially going to affect the retirement planning industry and financial advisors? I assume right.
Speaker 2:Correct. Yeah, it's, it's a, it's a focus on all of that, sam Richter. I'm sorry I should have had that Sam Richter, who is a who's a major focus in this area. Yeah, it's exactly how AI is helping us all move forward in the advisor and the TPA space and the back office space, but also just how that how the effects of AI will be on financial, the financial markets and financial literacy. So all that together is gonna be a major focus. So, yeah, two courses on that this year.
Speaker 1:If a member is interested in a recording of an individual session or the whole conference, are recordings available. How does that work?
Speaker 2:They're not, but what we're looking to do is take some of these and turn them into webcasts, or at least portion of these into webcasts throughout the year as well, so that we can do that. Cost is not really allow us to do a recording of the sessions at summit, but we'll have great write-ups by our team here and individuals volunteering as well, so we'll have the great write-ups there and then, of course, I will just encourage you come join us, like that's. That's the best part, best way to do it be out. The goal is to turn some of these into webcasts throughout the year.
Speaker 1:If I could maybe just throw out a suggestion and obviously feel free to take it or leave it. Certainly a lot of people are very much interested in AI and the effects that we'll have on our industry. I don't know if NATSA, sometime after the conference, would be willing to do like a zoom or, you know, webcast or something like that that people could register for. If there's a couple hundred people at the conference but 6,000 members, that might be a terrific way to be able to engage some of those other members and actually use it to recruit people to maybe volunteer for some of the committees or go to future conferences or other things. But that's a hot topic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a great idea and one that is on our list of things to do for 2024, for sure, because, yeah, I mean, that's, that's not going away, in fact it's just taking off. So, totally agree, and and I will take that in one of it, so, and then I'll take credit for it too.
Speaker 3:Randy and Nate. If I could cut in, the AI general session is going to be at 1145 on Monday and as far as pre recordings or post recordings go of all conferences, that is on the initiative for 2025 for area as a whole.
Speaker 1:Nice, okay, I know in the past they used to do that and there was some fee or something that somebody could pay, either for individual meetings or for the entire conference.
Speaker 3:That's gonna be a big TBD on that one because it's still in discussion, because the resources that need to be put to do those recordings and then edit those post recordings. My gut tells me it's a member, just a member benefit, but we'll see in 2025 as it as it comes more clear.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the GSA would be the first, so yes because another hot topic obviously would be the legislative issues that people might want to hear about, so that opening session could be something that would really attract people as well. But I'm just throwing out food for thought.
Speaker 2:No, it's great and actually I mean, you know I didn't go through all the sessions, but one of the main ones, the one at the end, is going to be a big deal. We actually have two to finish up the conference hopefully keep people there. As you know, it's kind of is always an issue keeping people to the end, but we have one.
Speaker 1:This is a history of our history of four or three bees.
Speaker 2:It's given by one of our great volunteers. Brad Hope is going to go through an hour of you know what happened with four or three bees, where they are now and where they're headed. It's going to be a great session. And then, following that one, we have our friends from ASBO International. The new executive director at ASBO International is going to join me on stage and we're just going to have an open discussion as to what school business officials are looking for from advisors, from everything they do on a daily basis and kind of how their life runs, so we can understand that a little bit better. So all these things you're right, this would be great to have for for things moving forward there.
Speaker 1:So yeah, and especially there's a short life to this. You know, the further that you get down the road, you know legislative stuff changes, things change. But there are so many members that, for whatever reason, don't attend the conference and you're right, sometimes it's about cost and other types of things that maybe there could be another way for them to be engaged without taking away from the actual conference itself yeah, so it's a piece for thought appreciate that, yeah.
Speaker 1:Nate, could you tell me what NASA means to you and why you would encourage people to get involved with NASA?
Speaker 2:yeah, I don't. That's a holds a very special place in my heart and nothing, nothing to do with the fact that you know I get to work here now. I I joined this industry as a guy who was going to school and wanted to be a CPA, quite frankly. So I was going to the University of Utah, had a friend who said you know what, while you're working there as a construction worker at the time and said, while you're working, while you're going to school, stop working construction and come work at this company and that'll just help you get through through school and started working there, loved my job. I just I found that I enjoyed, enjoyed working with, with the people in the retirement industry. But a short time after I started there, the business took on a large 4-3 plan. It was 4-3 plan in Southern California actually, and then another one, a FICA alternative plan, actually in Hawaii. And so I mean two great places, right, southern California and Hawaii, not terrible places to go visit.
Speaker 2:But I started to work in that arena and I fell in love with working with educators. You know, people, there's not a ton of money in this industry. Like, let's be honest, right, there's not a ton of money in this industry but there's a ton of service opportunities and how amazing is it to work with the individuals who are shaping our future, the future of the world, right? And I loved that opportunity just to find ways to work with an educator, a teacher, anyone in a school district, and help them see how they can still prepare and work towards retirement.
Speaker 2:And I wasn't even an advisor, I was just doing administration on these plans and I just I really loved going out and visiting them, working with them and creating those opportunities and then seeing how I could build that into a better opportunity for the individual, for the school district and for my company, right, and so continue to grow that for all those years. So that in and of itself was a huge benefit to me to see what we were able to do for educators. And then a couple of years into my tenure, there was giving the opportunity to go to an NTSA summit, which I think it was a conference back then. I don't know what it was called the summit, but regardless whatever the term was, I just loved the opportunity to grow and work together with the individuals in the industry and so, from there, decided later to become or begged to become a strategic partner with the NTSA, which helped the organization but also helped the NTSA and has spent so much time working with the individuals in this organization and all the volunteers that do all that.
Speaker 2:So my great love for the NTSA is a love for what the membership does and how we serve other people.
Speaker 2:And so I know we're not all perfect, right.
Speaker 2:I know that not everyone has every perfect thought in mind and some people are in the business just to make money and not to provide service, sure, but those who have stayed for a long time and those who volunteer and those who serve are those who understand that what we do has a greater cause and takes that opportunity to work with an educator and help them work towards retirement and give them the best opportunity in retirement to be healthy and happy and enjoy a long, successful retirement. I love it, I enjoy like. That to me is greater than any other opportunity that's out there. So I give up anything to work in this industry. I was nervous when I, in between my two jobs that I would have to leave the industry and go find a job somewhere else, and so grateful for the opportunity to just stay here and keep doing what I could do to help the industry. And then, at this level, I mean, how awesome is this to be able to do it at an even higher level, so I love it.
Speaker 1:Well, you've been doing a fantastic job. You mentioned before that you've received the Richard Ford Volunteer Service Award. What sort of volunteer work do you do?
Speaker 2:Oh, I do, I do. I mean I do less now, admittedly, because I get paid for this work, but I did a lot of volunteer stuff. First of all, just a word for my friend, richard Ford. Talk about Mount Rushmore. He might be the top of that Mount Rushmore and that was the guy who took me under his wing when I first was attending these summits, and just what an amazing person. What an amazing person and I'm so. That's why, when I got to stand on that stage and accept that volunteer award, I didn't deserve it when I compare myself to a man like that and the things that he did for us in our industry and I'm so grateful for him and the example that he set for all of us. But yeah, I did a lot of service when it came to, obviously, working with the NTSA, served on most of the committees during my time there before. But I also do a lot outside of, or did a lot before, and I still try to do as much as I can outside of the industry.
Speaker 2:One of my favorite things is I love to coach sports.
Speaker 2:I work with the youth, I work with youth in my church and then also outside of the church, I do so much stuff with the sports. I have been a soccer coach, a basketball coach and a football coach, most recently, admittedly, with all this travel, that's been one of the hard things. Last year was the first year I didn't coach a sport since my I don't know probably about 15 years, and so to go 15 years coaching youth for so long and then go a whole year without it, it's been a little bit tough. But my son's now in high school and he's my youngest and I can't coach at the high school level, that's for sure, and so I've allowed others to take that over and work with him and that's actually better for him. But I just enjoy working with the youth and maybe that's why I love working with the teachers so much, because they get that opportunity on an everyday basis. But yeah, that's my largest amount of volunteer hours for sure was spent coaching the youth in sports, whatever sport it could be.
Speaker 1:Sure, I'll tell you a quick Richard Ford story. I knew Richard Ford when he was a vice president, I believe, of marketing for SafeGo.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Symmetra, way back when this had to be 30 some odd years ago, and he was just a phenomenal guy, a great marketing guy, and he told me a story at one of the dinners that we had and he was a terrific swimmer. Oh really he was qualifying for the Olympic trials in swimming. I don't recall which event that it was, but this was 1972. He would have gone to the Munich Olympics. However, he lost out to one great swimmer and didn't get on the team. Do you know who that swimmer was?
Speaker 2:I don't.
Speaker 1:You're too young.
Speaker 2:I won't tell you how old I was in 72.
Speaker 1:Mark Spitz.
Speaker 2:Okay, all right.
Speaker 1:He actually lost out to getting on the team because Mark Spitz beat him. So, Richard, when we would see him and be at some resort with an ocean or whatever, he would be one of these guys that would swim way out there in the ocean and the lifeguards would worry about him until somebody said he is like an Olympic swimmer.
Speaker 2:That's awesome.
Speaker 1:You don't need to worry about him, he'll be fine. Yeah, and I agree with you, richard is on the top of Mount Rushmore and most of our industry knows who he is and how he's volunteered, and to have this award named after him and, as you said, to be a recipient of the award and having known him is absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is a big deal. That's an awesome story. I'm impressed. I yeah. That is such a great thing to know him. And an interesting thing to me is anyone that I've talked to about him. They were all his best friend, because he made everyone feel like they were his best friend, because you know what they were like. He just loved people and wanted people to be happy and helped people be happy. Like how amazing is that?
Speaker 1:What a legacy. What a legacy, absolutely Okay. Nate any other comments. Last pearls of wisdom that you have for us.
Speaker 2:My pearls of wisdom are come, join us, come and take part, but take advantage of what we have here. I obviously what we do here at the NTSA is a focus on advocacy. We want to keep, we want to keep. We want educators to have access to an advisor. It's what we do, and in order to do that, we provide education, we provide crest, we provide marketing, we provide all these other things, we provide a summit right, we provide all those things to help people become educated, so that educators have access to an advisor, and we want to continue to fight for that every single day.
Speaker 2:And I can't do it without you. And so come and be a part of it, but be a part of it, join in, and I promise you, as you do, you'll get lost in this joy of working with the NTSA, of working with the industry of the NTSA, if not just the NTSA itself, working with the great people who are out there and trying to help us all grow together, like yourself and like the Richard Ford's of the world, that provide us just a great opportunity to be together and grow one with another. Those are my pearls of wisdom Just take the opportunity and find a way to become a part of something, quite frankly, bigger than each and every one of us, and that's what this industry does Again, not perfectly, and that's why we want you all here, because we want to improve upon what we're doing, and we know that there's things that can be improved upon. But one person, two people, 10 people, 200 people, can't do it.
Speaker 2:But in Army of 6,000, we really could grow together and provide the best opportunity for educators across the country. And as we do that, more will join, we'll have greater opportunities. So come be a part of it and just serve and find a way to be a part of something bigger than yourself.
Speaker 1:Okay, thank you, nate, I appreciate you giving us the time today, and best of luck at the summit.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thanks so much, randy, thanks for all you do for us as well.
Speaker 1:This is Randy Aranowitz and Joey Santos-Jones signing off, and we look forward to interviewing our next member on the Wildcast 2.0. Thank you for listening and we hope that you've learned from this Wildcast series. Your members are able to download the Wildcast by going to wwwntsaifnnetorg slash Wildcast W-O-W-C-A-S-T and you'll be able to download all the past episodes as well as the new ones. Thank you and have a great day. We'll be there anytime of the year again.