History of NAPO-CT

Founders Anita Taylor and Judith Ann Kirk celebrate the history of NAPO-CT — Founders:
Anita Taylor & Judith Ann Kirk

Table of Contents

In the beginning…

In 1995 there were only four NAPO.net Professional Organizers in Connecticut, and two (Anita and Judith Ann) met at a regional conference in Albany, NY sponsored by the NAPO-NY chapter. A friendship blossomed and they continued to meet monthly throughout the subsequent years to share ideas and concerns that developed as their organizing businesses grew. Several more organizers joined this casual gathering as word spread that this was the place to be if you were serious about your organizing business, seeking education, and networking with colleagues.

History began…

On the third Friday of each month, breakfast meetings were held at the Holiday Inn in North Haven under the restaurant’s leaky glass roof. When the group became too large, the Holiday Inn offered a private room with a breakfast buffet. This new room was sufficient for a while until our membership increased beyond capacity. We were eventually moved into a larger room where we continued to meet for several years, not just monthly meetings but full-day conferences and seminars.

In January 1998 the official Connecticut Informal Group was recognized by NAPO National during the Annual NAPO Conference in Portland, Oregon. Over the years this group of organizers developed into a cohesive assemblage with monthly meetings, educational presentations, seminars, and National Conference attendance.

A chapter was born…

The hard work of forging ahead in seeking chapter recognition began in 2002. Just to start the process, a NAPO requirement was a minimum of 25 members meeting on a regular basis. We finally hit the mark and proceeded with the enormous amount of paperwork and the required documentation including establishing the first Bylaws for the proposed chapter. The moment arrived when we were ready to submit documentation to headquarters for chapter recognition.

In January 2003, the NAPO National Board of Directors announced the official chapter status of the Connecticut organizers. NAPO-Connecticut was born.