Ingage Consulting’s Evan Hackel selected for New England Franchise Association (NEFA) board of directors

Here at Ingage, we spend a lot of time talking about franchisors engaging their franchisees and optimizing that relationship. Yet being engaged goes beyond your franchise organization and should include you being active in your local or regional franchise community. That’s why several years ago, I joined the New England Franchise Association as a member and just recently was appointed to the organization’s board of directors.As the name suggests, New England Franchise Association (NEFA) is a trade organization for franchisors and franchisees in the region. It has more than 150 members from all six New England states. The mission of NEFA is to bring franchise executives, franchisees and vendors together to share ideas for success.I’m looking forward to working with the board and NEFA members to develop programs and events that engage and benefit our Association.So, what can you get out of an organization like NEFA?Joining a local industry association and actively participating in that organization provides a perspective you might not be getting every day within your organization. You may hear of ideas or programs from fellow association members that you can bring back to your franchisor or franchisees. Also, if it’s a group that also includes vendors who serve the franchise industry, you might learn of new products, technologies and training that can help your individual store or your franchise organization as a whole.In terms of NEFA, I’m thrilled and honored to be appointed to a rather impressive board of directors roster, which includes: Bruce Wildes, Acadia Business Advisors, LLC, Cumberland, ME; Chuck Lynch, MaidPro, Boston, MA; Donato Dandreo, Compete Now, Boston, MA; Gina Weinstock, G. T. Reilly & Company, Milton, MA; Kevin Dubois, Lapels Dry Cleaning, Hanover, MA; Kim Woods, Franchise Solutions, Portsmouth, NH; Murray Vetstein, Source4, Brockton, MA; Steve Dubin, PR Works, Kingston, MA; and Suzanne Cummings, Cummings Franchise Law, P.C., Stoneham, MA.For more information on NEFA, you can visit www.nefa.org.