'Now in its fifth year, the program has been a huge success, allowing people to attend the Symposium who otherwise may not have been able to.'
By Elly Kobach
At last year’s Symposium in Minneapolis, I spent a lot of time at the SIMA booth on the trade show floor, where some dedicated volunteers were running a 50/50 raffle to benefit the Alan Steiman Symposium Scholarship. When they heard what it was for, people were more than willing to buy tickets to contribute to the scholarship, which was created in 2010 in memory of longtime SIMA member, mentor, and friend Alan Steiman. The winner receives a full Symposium registration, access to all ticketed events, and a $1000 travel stipend.
It was great to see so many people supporting the scholarship, which continues to help individuals in snow learn and grow, and is a fitting tribute to Alan, who was a great industry mentor and educator to many. Now in its fifth year, the program has been a huge success, allowing people to attend the Symposium who otherwise may not have been able to.
SIMA has awarded six scholarships to date, to some great contractors with great stories, who have all agreed that the Symposium benefited them both personally and professionally. Past winners include:
- 2013 - Brent Reeder of Brent's Outdoor Solutions & Mary Abbott of Mow Beta!
- 2012 - Shawn Rine, CSP of Rine Landscaping
- 2011 - Steve Koep of Fargo Snow & Brock Goodman of Goodman Snow Services
- 2010 - Bob Henderson of Reliance Property Maintenance
SIMA is accepting applications for this year’s Alan Steiman Scholarship through April 11, 2014. Applicants must be current SIMA members and have never attended a Symposium in the past. Visit www.sima.org/awards for more information and to apply.
'When parking lots, sidewalks and driveways are all clear after a long night working in a winter storm, the satisfaction is simply going home knowing that it was a job well done.'
By Martin Tirdao, CAE
Several years ago, I saw a video clip of Alfred Hitchcock’s acceptance speech after winning what was essentially a lifetime achievement award at the Oscars. It was the only award he received at an Oscars and upon acceptance, he leaned into the microphone and simply said “thank you.” He then appeared to have a moment of realization that it wasn’t enough, so he went back to the microphone and ended with the lengthy and profound statement of “very much indeed,” and walked off the stage.
I consider this one of the greatest award acceptance speeches made, as I think his intention was clear: the quality of his work spoke for itself.
It’s this type of humility that is common for snow and ice management professionals. When parking lots, sidewalks and driveways are all clear after a long night working in a winter storm, the satisfaction is simply going home knowing that it was a job well done.
Thanks to a generous sponsorship by Pro-Tech Manufacturing & Distribution, your job well done should be recognized in front of your peers at the Snow and Ice Industry Awards Night at the 2014 SIMA Symposium. Visit www.sima.org/awards to apply for any one of the several awards offered. Over the years we have simplified the application allowing an easy to understand and complete process.
We look forward to recognizing your achievements on June 19 in Columbus, OH. Acceptance speech not required.
'In the past year, we have been making improvements to both the marketing and the benefits for becoming a CSP, with a focus on supporting those who earn the designation.'
By Elly Kobach
SIMA’s new certificate program, Advanced Snow Management, has been getting a lot of attention lately as the latest educational offering in snow and ice. The program is almost complete with one course left to roll out, and it provides great training for equipment operators and snow event operations managers.
While the new ASM certificates have been front and center for the past few months, SIMA has not forgotten about the Certified Snow Professional program! As the recognized standard for professionalism and excellence in snow and ice management services, CSP is built for owners and executives, and focuses on the critical elements of running a snow business. As a certification rather than a certificate program, there are pre-requisites for applying and ongoing requirements once the certification is earned.
In the past year, we have been making improvements to both the marketing and the benefits for becoming a CSP, with a focus on supporting those who earn the designation, including:
- A redesign of the CSP logo.
- New advertising campaign, both print and digital (see image above).
- A new brochure with inserts specifically for CSPs to give customers (coming soon).
- A marketing kit that each new CSP will receive, including press releases, ideas on how to market the certification, and a personalized wallet card and framed certificate.
As we continue to make improvements to the program, SIMA will hold a free Certified Snow Professional informational webinar on March 25, 2014, for anyone who is interested in becoming certified. This is a great first step to take to get more information and ask questions about CSP, as the webinar will cover:
- Why certification is important for professionals in the industry.
- Pre-requisites and application process.
- Studying process, materials, and tips.
- Registering for your CSP exam and exam process.
- Maintaining your certification once you earn it.
Register for the webinar here to start on your path to becoming a CSP! For more information on the CSP program, visit www.sima.org/certification or email ellen@sima.org.
