The Margit Novack Award for Excellence in Senior Move Management was created in 2011 in honor of NASMM’s Founding President. Recipients of the Margit Novack Award have demonstrated contributions that significantly and consistently impact the advancement and/or recognition of the Senior Move Management profession through service to the National Association of Senior Move Managers. Additionally, recipients have advanced his or her organization mission and demonstrated sound business practices while showing exemplary leadership and involvement in their community, their business and the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM).
In February, 2016, NASMM was pleased to award this honor to Barry Izsak, owner of Arranging It All in Austin, Texas, at the NASMM annual conference held in San Antonio, Texas.
Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
This year’s recipient of the Margit Novack Award for Outstanding Contributions to Senior Move Management personifies this sentiment.
In 2008, NASMM met Barry Izsak, a professional organizer from Austin, Texas. And neither of us has quite been the same since.
Barry will tell you – as he frequently does – that NASMM , quite simply, changed his life. He credits NASMM with offering him the essential tools he needed to transform his professional organizing business into a highly successful and profitable Senior Move Management company.
And while NASMM is happy to take credit for assisting him in his business success, what we’d like to tell you today is how much Barry Izsak has done to shape NASMM.
After attending his first NASMM conference in 2008, Barry recognized the symmetry between NASMM and the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). He sought to connect his two professional associations in a meaningful way so they might benefit from each other’s strengths and experiences.
Thus, through Barry’s leadership, NASMM and NAPO signed a professional affiliation agreement in the fall of 2008, allowing NASMM and NAPO members to benefit from each other’s programs and services. Through this affiliation, NASMM’s many professional organizers now make NASMM their professional home, participate in our conferences, and serve in leadership positions.
Barry is a frequent conference presenter – sharing his expertise with both new and seasoned Senior Move Managers and – for the third year in a row – Barry has moderated the Ask the Senior Move Manager panel. This panel works together for months prior to the conference – with Barry’s wisdom, humor, and experience guiding the way all of the way! It’s not surprising that this session is consistently rated as one of the top three (3) sessions at past conferences.
Barry is an ardent supporter of NASMM – promoting the benefits of membership at home and abroad. In fact, we are hosting a new member and first-time conference attendee with us this year from Australia. Yes, Barry introduced NASMM to Sally Fitzgerald, and she is currently mentoring with Barry in Austin and is enjoying her first NASMM conference.
In 2013, Barry approached NASMM about funding a scholarship program. While NASMM and Barry collaborated on the details of the scholarship, NASMM suffered a huge professional loss with the unexpected death of long-time NASMM member, Peg Guild, at the age of 59.
For those of you who did not know Peg, she was a sitting Director on the NASMM Board when she passed away, as well as a past, two-term NASMM Board President.
Additionally – just to underscore her sizeable role within NASMM – Peg was also the inaugural recipient of the Margit Novack Award for Outstanding Contributions to Senior Move Management.
In celebration of Peg’s life and her deep commitment to NASMM, Barry funded the scholarship in both his name and Peg’s name. Thus, the Barry Izsak – Peg Guild Professional Development Scholarship was established in 2014. Through the significant generosity of Barry Izsak, four (4) NASMM members have been awarded scholarships to attend the NASMM annual conference!
While Barry credits NASMM with so much of his professional success, we also credit Barry with much of NASMM’s progress! Today, we honor Barry for his outstanding contributions to NASMM and the Senior Move Management profession.
It is with great pleasure that we award the 2016 Margit Novak Award for Outstanding Contributions to Senior Move Management to Barry Izsak.
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