Page 34 - MNLGA Free State Winter 2023_WEB

FEATURED MEMBER

Membership Matters:

Planting the Seeds of Growth:

Your Role in Expanding Our Association

he MNLGA is part of large network of state nursery, endless stream of communications at home and work
landscape, and greenhouse associations across every day. It is very hard to discern the clutter from what
Tthe U.S. and Canada. The NLAE or the National really matters.
Association of Landscape Executives has over 40 highly As far back as the 1950’s and 60’s and up through the early
active associations as core members and meets throughout 2000’s, Associations were considered the social epicenter
the year via Zoom and in person every spring. The MNLGA and lifeblood of industry life. While the social part of
has long been amongst the top of our peer group in MNLGA life has changed, the importance of what we do
member retention and now, along with our national for our members has not. In fact, membership, especially
counterparts, we are focusing on membership growth. in these changing political times, has become vastly more

We have collectively discovered that communicating important, especially if you want your voice represented
the message about the importance of membership has in legislative matters. And we all should.
become much harder over the years and exponentially The BIG QUESTION, and challenge, is how do we get our
harder since the pandemic. message to resonate with potential members?

You already know the importance as this publication (Free The answer lies in establishing a coordinated effort
State) is exclusively for members. This is about how “we” between the MNLGA and you, our members. Because
got here and must all work together to help spread the the quantity of communication can be so overwhelming,
message of the significance in banding together to share what is important tends to get diluted within that which
the value of membership and the importance of collectively is not. The best way to attract new members and get
supporting our industry. Together we can impact the the message of membership importance to resonate is
direction of legislation that affects our families and through member to member and business to business
businesses, stay on top of the latest trends and regulations, real-life experience.
and share our collective knowledge with one another.
The Seeding Success Membership Referral program
Slowly but progressively, we have come to live in an age already has a list of 1,000+ companies around the state
of instant communication, heavily partisan politics, round in almost every zip code along with a variety of readily
the clock sound bites, and a social media scourge which available support materials. These materials range
impacts our everyday lives, industry, economy, and daily from e-mail and phone scripts to member benefits and
work environment. Add to that raising a family and/or association fact lists. Advocacy and working with the
caring for aging parents or facing any number of other Maryland Green Industry Council (MaGIC) to monitor
challenges and it is easy to see how messages of all kinds, the activities of the Maryland General Assembly and
including the importance/value of Association Membership, local counties; offering support and testimony on issues
get tamped down or lost. We are bombarded with an directly impacting all of us is reason enough.

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34 WINTER 2023 • Free State News