If you were not able to take
the member survey, but would
like to provide feedback on
your member experience,
please contact SMA Executive
Director Leslie Berckes at
smaexecdirector@gmail.com.
SMA supporters are also
encouraged to reach out.
By SMA Executive Director Leslie Berckes
and City Trees Editor Michelle Sutton
In June of 2023, Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA)
Members were asked to complete an anonymous
survey asking such questions as, "How long have you
been a member of SMA?" (Figure 1), "Why did you
join SMA?" (Figure 2), "What member benefits do
you, or would you, find of value?" (Figure 3), "What
municipal/urban forestry issues are most important
to you?" (Figure 4), and "What language do you use
to describe yourself and your work?" (Figure 5).
Respondents also had the opportunity to answer
open-ended questions like "What makes you happy
to be a member of SMA?" and "What would you
change or improve upon for SMA?" These yielded
many thoughtful responses and constructive pieces
of feedback, many of which are shared here. The
survey was completed by a total of 180 SMA Members
from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Australia, Belgium,
Netherlands, Colombia, Slovenia, Fiji, and New Zealand.
The survey was conducted to better understand SMA
Member makeup, the top concerns/issues members face,
and what they most desire out of their membership. The
results of the survey have been reviewed by the SMA
Board of Directors and leadership team as well as shared
with the marketing firm Nexus6, which SMA has engaged
to lead a website update and SMA brand refresh. SMA
Members can expect to see future member surveys as
the organization moves in its new strategic direction. >>
Feedback from the Field:
SMA Member Survey
Highlights
10 CityTREES
