FPA President Evelyn Zohlen.
The Financial Planning Association has announced the 11 chapters that will participate in the beta testing of its OneFPA Network, the new organizational structure designed to deliver a consistent experience for all association members, empower volunteer leaders and elevate the financial planning profession.
Two of the 11 chapters are in North Carolina — the Charlotte and FPA of the Triangle, which covers Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. The others are Colorado, Illinois, Greater Kansas City, Northern New England, Metro New York, New Jersey, Orange County (California), Philadelphia Tri-State Area and Middle Tennessee. The FPA has 86 chapters and more than 22,000 members, down from more than 23,000 in 2017.
Sixteen chapters submitted applications to participate in the beta testing of its new network, which was originally targeting 10 chapters. The number was expanded to 11 following a review of the applications by the OneFPA Network Task Force "because the enthusiasm and fit was so strong among the 11 chapters," FPA said in a statement.
The testing will begin in January 2020 and continue for two years with the goal of assessing core elements of the network, including centralized technology, staffing and accounting and financial reporting. Other programs that could be assessed include enhanced coordination for marketing, advocacy, media and public relations, member recruitment and retention and education.
The task force will oversee the beta testing and review results continuously throughout the process. If certain elements prove to be successful they could be rolled out to more chapters before testing is completed, says Evelyn Zohlen, the current FPA president.
