nesae eNews

Congratulations to the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (MassNAHRO) and the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association (MFDA), the first recipients of NE/SAE’s new Organizational Excellence Award.  The winners were announced as part of NE/SAE’s Annual Meeting on June 3, 2021. The brand-new award category was created to recognize the innovation and accomplishments of professional societies and trade associations in New England, and to celebrate the positive impact they have on their members and the industries they serve. 

 

MassNAHRO was recognized for its CHAMP Assistance Team initiative, which was developed in response to challenges with a state-wide public housing and centralized waitlist system. This initiative saved public housing authorities more than $40,000 per month statewide in mailing, printing, and processing costs, improved the accuracy of data in the system, and provided a new member service and revenue stream for the organization. MFDA was recognized for its initiative The Direction of Dignity: Maintaining a Standard of Care for those Lost to the Pandemic. With the COVID-19 pandemic, funeral directors were facing a mass casualty situation of unknown proportion and duration. The MFDA set out to give its members the tools and resources they needed to continue to care for the victims of the pandemic and those dying of other causes; to provide services to their bereaved families within the parameters of unprecedented restrictions and unknowns; and balance the health and safety of their employees and themselves. MFDA's impact on the industry is reflected in its best practices that have been adopted in other states across the country.