The war for talent in all sectors continues, and the association sector, like any other nonprofit sector, competes in the marketplace to hire and retain the most talented staff, says Gayle Brandel, president and CEO of Professionals for NonProfits (PNP). "We believe your association loses its competitive edge if it does not attract the talent it needs, and, therefore, knowing what salary to pay for any position is critical to your association’s success." To that end, PNP is conducting its first salary survey of New York City’s associations and, in February 2014, will publish a report of salary ranges paid by associations for a variety of positions. To participate in the survey, visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/NYAssociationsSalarySurvey2013.
Carter Keithley, president of the Toy Industry Association and immediate past chair of NYSAE, announced that the ancient game of chess and beloved bath toy, the rubber duck, were honored recently, when they were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York. The two honorees joined 51 toys previously inducted into the Hall of Fame, including baby doll, alphabet blocks, Etch A Sketch, The Game of Life, Scrabble, Silly Putty, stick, and View-Master. Thousands of nominations were submitted over the course of the year by toy lovers of all ages. An internal museum advisory committee comprised of curators, educators, and historians determined which toys met the criteria for selection before a national selection committee reviewed and voted for their top picks. Chess and rubber duck beat out 10 other finalists, including bubbles, Clue, Fisher-Price Little People, little green army men, Magic 8 Ball, My Little Pony, Nerf toys, Pac-Man, scooter, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.