by Andrew Pelkey
July 2023

The NHLA Board of Directors, consultants, and volunteers have been busy the past month planning and coordinating our second annual Field Day in September. We are excited to offer this event for the second year while also growing its offerings and audience. This year should be fantastic, and I hope to see you all there!

The American writer William S. Burroughs is credited with the quote “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” Our Association made it through Covid with some bumps and bruises. And we’re determined to grow the membership above and beyond where it’s been in years past. We plan to achieve this through various avenues, such as enhanced programs and new events and offerings, along with improved website and social media marketing efforts. We are focused on growing the membership and developing our offerings simultaneously, providing as much education and as many resources to our members and the local landscape industry as possible.

We are initiating a “two-track path” to improve our resources for the membership. The first path is one the Association has mostly concentrated on in the past, with educational events and resources focused on the field skill sets for the industry. The second — and new additional path — will be geared towards ownership and management, targeted on skill sets that involve financial literacy, best practices, human resources, estimation, and more.

This two-track path will be the catalyst for growth of the Association by bringing value to both field and managerial members of the industry.

For those of you reading, have you thought about joining an NHLA committee? Or maybe know someone who is a good fit? Send them our way. Growing our team will making growing the Association all the easier.

The 2023 season is poised to be a turning point, establishing a platform from which the Association can develop a sustainable and productive future.