NAID Update: A Class Act

Bob Johnson

As most readers may know, Jim Booth, the executive director of PRISM for the last 12 years, is stepping down to pursue other opportunities. I would like to take this time to share my perspective on his contributions to the records management industry, PRISM and on my personal professional development.

When you talk about trade associations serving the information management service arena, it is a pretty small world. Not surprisingly, the management leaders of these organizations get to know each other to varying degrees. In many ways, because of the similarities of our jobs (i.e., answering to directors, promoting events, meeting budgets, working with industry suppliers and finding ways to serve members in the data management space), we come to see our counterparts as kindred spirits.

In working with Jim during the last decade on a number of PRISM/NAID conferences in the U.S. and, more recently, on the last four PRISM/NAID-Europe conferences, I have come to know him as a consummate professional, an amazing subject matter expert and a person that puts his heart and soul into his job.

When negotiating sticky conference issues, whether with me, exhibitors or venue management, he brought balance and fairness while never losing track of his responsibility to represent the interests of the organization he served.

I always envied the calmness and grace he brought to every interaction, not to mention his incredible public speaking ability, humor and generosity. Maybe the best compliment I can give Jim is to say that I have tried to emulate the qualities I saw in him that I lacked, and in that regard, despite his relative youth, he has been a mentor I will sorely miss.

I would be remiss if I did not also say a few words about Melissa Burton. Among everything else she did for PRISM, Melissa’s ownership and investment in the organization’s event management has always amazed me. She exhibits the kind of ownership every business dreams of having in an employee.

Jim and Melissa have rare qualities that will surely be prized by any organization lucky enough to find them. They both have bright futures ahead.

On behalf of NAID’s staff, board of directors and members, I wish Jim, Melissa and their colleagues nothing but the best and can only hope our paths cross again.

Bob Johnson is CEO of the National Association for Information Destruction. He can be reached at rjohnson@naidonline.org.