The discussions were initiated by the board officers of each organization who recognize the complementary nature of each respective organization’s mission, products, and services. Both boards have approved further evaluation of the concept, and preliminary discussions have been started.

“NACE and SSPC have a long history together going back to 1950 when SSPC was founded,” said Garry Manous, president of the SSPC Board of Governors. “NACE was part of the initial group, along with AISC and others, that established the original charter for SSPC. Although we’ve competed in some areas in recent years, overall, we share a common goal of bettering society through the development and delivery of education and information that makes the professionals we serve the best they can be. It only makes sense that we explore whether we can better serve our mutual constituencies as partners than as separate organizations.”

“Our organizations have unique strengths and are complementary in many ways,” added Terry Greenfield, president-elect of NACE International. “This is an opportunity to see if bringing together those strengths makes something that is even better than the sum of the parts. We want to see if coming together will make it easier and better for our stakeholders to find everything they need in one place instead of two, and be sure that they are getting the most comprehensive options available to them.”

Over the next few months, NACE and SSPC staff and leadership will convene to discuss possible benefits and challenges of the concept. Both organizations will communicate regularly about progress and further plans.