ASA has been indispensable getting our industry to where we are today and continues to shape our future by making sure the relevance of our industry is understood at many levels. For example:

• In Washington, D.C., ASA engaged in the water issue…and today, the industry is united under Water Sense.  ASA’s engagement included lobbying our representatives and governmental agencies over countless years, helping organize, market and chairing the Water Sense Coalition, and then finally assisting in the drafting of the actual Water Sense program at the EPA. As a result and right after that, we raised money to hire full-time representation in D.C. that has dramatically expanded our ability to be heard at both the federal and state levels from codes and standards, government regulations and laws being passed.

• ASA partnered with our industry’s buying groups to leverage their strength in our industry behind our efforts, and to expand our voice of influence.

• ASA engaged in making sure we welcomed all of the talent available to us by being an early adopting industry for Women in Industry and Young Executives (now Emerging Leaders).

• ASA has shown time and again great visionary thought for the needs of our industry. This was demonstrated by the significant endowment created to fund the development of resources to address our industry-specific educational needs.  This has been followed by exceptional fund management and fund utilization to provide so many opportunities for all of us.

• ASA has given us the ability to network and to have an opportunity to open our minds to different perspectives of doing and thinking about things.

• ASA has given us relevant industry benchmarking data and developments to help us have insights to what is currently happening in the world outside of each of our individual bubbles that we live in.

And all of this continues with the great work that is being done on driving the industry’s Mega Goals and that development which includes driving to actionable tactics and real actions through its updated strategic planning process.

ASA is a key reason all of us, from international companies to local family-owned companies and everyone in between, has had and continues to have an opportunity to learn, as well as to have a voice in shaping our future to insure we can compete effectively in an ever-changing and fast-paced world.