ASA recently wrapped up its annual Executive Committee Summer Meeting in Rosemont, Illinois, near O’Hare Airport where 20-plus ASA volunteer leaders spent parts of three days mixing strategic planning/updating with plenty of networking.

ASA Executive Committee members continued discussions from the association’s 15th annual Winter Strategic Planning Meeting in Arizona earlier this year and a more recent meeting of ASA’s Data Task Group regarding the possibility of ASA mirroring the electrical industry in being the sole source of a centralized all-industry product database.

Winter meeting discussions also were furthered on the question of how can ASA effectively build a sustainable and more predictable source of funding that will enable the association to address future challenges to benefit not just members but the industry as a whole?

ASA Education Foundation trustees met to strategically plan and discuss the foundation’s mega goals, while also diving into tactical objectives for ASA’s PROJECT TALENT initiative aimed at helping solve/abate the critical labor problem facing our industry today (more on PROJECT TALENT below).

But the overarching theme of these two meetings was the sight of ASA volunteerism at its best. The folks involved in these two sessions represent some of the brightest minds in our industry and individuals who champion the extreme value of the industry’s only national trade association and its critical long-term importance in helping its members succeed now and well into the future.

To that end, ASA now has a governance structure in place that is tailor-made for even more of our industry to get involved with the association on myriad volunteer fronts.

ASA member volunteers play an active role in establishing the association’s strategic plan by identifying the most pressing issues facing our industry and determining how to respond, and bring a unique perspective and a specific point of reference, which is critical to ASA’s ability to offer the most relevant programs and services to help our members thrive.

I would highly encourage you to click this link here to get a good lay of the land when it comes to ASA’s new governance structure, as well as the various councils, task groups and advisory groups that have volunteer opportunities available.

There is just about something for everybody here, whether your interests lie with legislation and regulation, mechanical and piping systems, plumbing fixtures and appliances codes, business intelligence reports and data, virtual education and webinars, innovation and technology, safety, workforce development, and the list goes on.

And that’s not to mention our longstanding Emerging Leaders, Women in Industry, Industrial Piping Division, Plumbing Division and Vendor Member Division advisory groups.

Check out each group’s mission statement and see what might work for you. Once you have chosen the opportunity you are interested in, fill out the application form and submit your cover letter and resume. Our leadership reviews all applications to make their selections. While not every applicant will be immediately chosen to volunteer, an ongoing database with your information will be kept for future openings within your area of interest.

As Hajoca President and CEO Rick Fantham said during his time as ASA president, take the plunge. ASA’s continues to greatly expand its value proposition to its members.

The train is pulling into the station. Hop aboard. We’d love to have you along for what promises to be an exciting ride as we continue to fortify this great industry’s future.

Employee recruitment help
I briefly mentioned our PROJECT TALENT platform earlier here. Launched during the pandemic, PROJECT TALENT is a free resource for ASA members to use in their recruitment/hiring journey. As we all know, labor is about as big of a pain point as it gets right now.

I asked Mike Walsh, president of recruitment marketing firm Harger Howe Advertising (ASA’s partner on PROJECT TALENT) to list the top five resources available to ASA members in PROJECT TALENT’s free Recruiter Toolbox where members can avail themselves to thousands of recruitment resources.

Here’s how he ranks them:

1. Extensive stock photo library (all available for download)
2. Stock video library (all available for download)
3. Social media templates
4. Library of industry job descriptions
5. Print ad, poster, Power Point and brochure templates.

ASA member companies also can post open jobs at www.SupplyIndustryCareers.com. There is no charge or limit to the amount of jobs a company can post there. That website, Walsh explains, is then extensively promoted nationally on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. This is done through an extensive paid social ad promotion, as well as through organic posts on the unique Supply Industry Careers social portals of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. A feed of all jobs posted is given to Indeed.com on a daily basis.

Walsh adds an email marketing campaign goes to a database of more than 11,000 recipients who are career counselors at technical high schools, two-year community colleges, technical higher education institutions and training directors, career advisors, unemployment office staff and post-military career advisors.

If you have not yet checked out all that PROJECT TALENT has to offer when it comes to your company’s recruitment efforts, check out the PROJECT TALENT website here.

If you have further questions about volunteering or PROJECT TALENT, drop me a note at mmiazga@asa.net.