Aggregates Manager

February 2014

Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/248272

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 18 of 51

by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief TakeFIVE NSSGA's new CEO, Mike Johnson, focuses advocacy efforts by putting aggregates first. Speaking WITH ONE VOICE Q. When it comes to association management, what are the key commonalities and differences between the beer and aggregate industries? First, thank you for the opportunity to respond to your questions and communicate with your readers. While there is no question that beer and rocks are quite different, the reason that companies in the beer distribution industry and the aggregates industry came together many years ago to form national trade associations is largely the same. The participants in both industries recognized a need to have a unified voice in Washington to advocate for their collective interests before the administration, Congress, and the specific regulatory agencies engaged with each industry. So, while the products are quite different, for both NBWA and NSSGA, advocacy was, and still is, job one. Both industries have a vested interest in policy that facilitates a strong national economy, federal laws that promote business growth, and a regulatory environment that is fair and balanced. At NBWA, we built an advocacy organization that was routinely cited as one of the most effective in Washington. That was possible because the members of NBWA understood the importance of being involved and were committed to and willing to invest in building a strong, united voice. It also happened because those of us who they hired to represent them were devoted, disciplined, and strategic. At NBWA, the goal was to maximize our members' ROI by A. On Aug. 1, 2013, Michael W. Johnson joined the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) as president and CEO. He previously served as the executive vice president and chief advocacy officer for the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA). As his first national convention approaches, he addresses strategic planning and what's next for the association. focusing on those things that mattered most to the success of their businesses and the industry, and, that if we did not raise, nobody else would. In short, the guiding association management principle was "putting distributors first." I am excited because I see that same level of understanding about the importance of being involved and willingness to invest among the members of NSSGA. My commitment, and the commitment of our entire staff team, is to maximize our members' ROI by building a stronger, more effective advocacy organization that is laser focused on "aggregates first." Q. The association surveyed its membership at the beginning of your tenure. What surprised or excited you about the feedback? Any concerns? As was hopefully evident in my previous response, I believe that trade associations have to be member driven. When I learned that NSSGA had not fielded a benchmark membership survey in some time, doing so became an obvious priority. The results showed that the membership agreed. The first surprise, a pleasant one, was the response rate. Around a 20-percent response rate is about average for association membership surveys. Our response rate was more than 35 percent! I was also pleasantly surprised and very excited by what the respondents told us about the value of NSSGA membership to their businesses. There are many associations active in the construction and construction materials industries that our members could, and A. AGGREGATES MANAGER February 2014 17

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Aggregates Manager - February 2014