SIMA goes to Capitol Hill

By Martin Tirado, CAE
On March 18-19, Phill Sexton (SIMA's Director of Edu and Outreach) and I will be in Washington, DC, to meet with our elected members of Congress during American Associations Day. This event provides us the opportunity to not only be an advocate for associations in general, but to also put SIMA and the value of the services its members provide on the map.

Being in Washington DC for this important event is part of SIMA’s strategic vision to increase awareness of SIMA, and be a resource to consumers, the general public, and legislative and regulatory entities, both locally and nationally. This winter’s Impact of Snow Campaign, led to SIMA being covered in several news channels, such as radio shows in Ithaca, NY, Baltimore, MD, coverage in the Wall Street Journal and more (full reporting on the “Impact of Snow” will be provided in the future). We have also continued to build our relationships with the consumers of snow and ice services, with information published by SIMA appearing with the International Parking Institute and the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association, as well as numerous other initiatives in the works.

The next step is to participate at the national level, in Washington, DC, and continue to be a voice and advocate for the snow and ice management industry. Phill & I will certainly deliver our message on the value of associations on issues such as the important role that non-profits play in the economy and their impact of  governmental policies, like recent health care reform for example. We will also advocate on the issues of importance to SIMA members as provided to us in our Fall 2012 legislative survey.

I personally am thankful that Phill is coming to DC with me; the industry could not ask for a better, more passionate, and more qualified advocate. Phill has worked in the snow/landscape/tree care industries for several companies over the years, and can share his direct experiences to key DC contacts. Certainly, it will be an informative and enriching experience for Phill and I, and for SIMA. I look forward to reporting on outcomes later this spring.

If you have any thoughts on key topics or issues we should discuss with the folks on Capitol Hill, please share them here or email me at Martin@sima.org.

Martin Tirado, CAE is the CEO for SIMA.