Celebrating 50 Years of Industry Education

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” Albert Einstein

As the NAED Education & Research Foundation kicks off its 50th anniversary year, I want to thank you, our members, for your support. We are here because of you – and for you. We are proud to be able to provide the resources you need to help with your continued success. 

In 1969, the NAED Education & Research Foundation was established to provide a resource that will ‘survey the educational opportunities and courses available in our industry.’ Since then the Foundation has worked to develop training and education courses for our members – helping to raise the level of professionalism within electrical distribution. 

As we celebrate a half-century of evolution, it’s hard to believe that the first two self-study programs developed were the Electrical Products Education Course (EPEC) and the Electrical Distributor Guided Education (EDGE). They have been updated over the years and both of these programs are going strong today. I remember when we launched Maximize Your Profit Power in 1998. It was on CD-ROM because that was cutting-edge technology at the time. As advances in technology have been made, we’ve been able to offer better learning opportunities for you.

I am proud of our Foundation team. This small group of individuals is dedicated to creating new, innovative, and interesting learning opportunities for you. If you would like to help support our work, our annual campaign, the Future Fund is still accepting contributions. If you have already contributed, your support is truly appreciated. For those that have not, you can make your contribution here. We can’t wait to continue to share the wealth of knowledge you helped us acquire. 

And, I look forward to seeing you at the National Meeting on May 5 for the Chairman’s Awards Banquet and NAED Foundation’s 50th Anniversary Celebration!

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Michelle McNamara

Michelle McNamara

Michelle McNamara is the COO of the NAED and the Executive Director of the NAED Education and Research Foundation. In her dual roles, McNamara is responsible for implementing strategic plans to further the mission of NAED and the Foundation. Prior to 2011, she was the Vice President of NAED and the Executive Director of the NAED Foundation where she was responsible for program and project execution including direct management of multiple departments and fundraising. McNamara joined NAED in 1998 to manage educational events. McNamara began her non-profit career with The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).