Flexibility Aided NASBA’s Transition

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Preparation for offering more flexibility in employee scheduling actually enabled NASBA to more easily transition to all working home because of COVID-19, NASBA President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Bishop reported to the NASBA Board on April 24. The competition for talent in Nashville had led NASBA’s human resources department to recommend offering more possible work-at-home options. To implement this plan, NASBA had purchased more laptop computers, headsets, monitors, etc., to allow for work away from the office. When Tennessee declared its “Safe at Home” program, NASBA was prepared: “We had the core team working remotely from Day 1,” President Bishop told the Board. He anticipates the month of May will look much like April for NASBA – with limited staff in the office and everyone working at home who can work at home. As the flow of work increases, staff released will be recalled from furlough. The New York City NASBA site is closed, with staff either working from home or furloughed.

NASBA had started to be concerned about the pandemic in January and began scenario planning in February, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Colleen Conrad told the Board. Although staff did not expect the situation to be as extreme as it turned out to be, “we worked through the scenarios in February, which turned out to be a blessing, because we hit the ground running early.”

With campuses closing, the NASBA Center for the Public Trust (CPT) has focused on what can be done virtually. Over 3,000 students are now involved in the student chapters of the CPT. President Bishop noted the CPT’s video competition had a record 117 entrees this year.

Another transition has been bringing Brenner (Brie) Allen, Esq., on staff as NASBA’s regulatory counsel. NASBA now has four attorneys on staff, President Bishop reported.