ASA moves into 2014 coming off a year that was one of its strongest ever. ASA reached net membership growth for the second consecutive year in 2013, a milestone that hadn’t previously been reached in decades.
From a completed rollout of ASA University with the introduction of the College of Business Management to the debut of several new courses, the ASA Education Foundation is even better positioned in 2014 to help companies become more efficient, more productive and more profitable. Also introduced this past year was the new ASAU online store, an easy-to-use portal to all ASA University courses and training tracks, available at http://www.asa.net/storewww.asa.net/store
Throughout 2013, ASA Executive Vice President Mike Adelizzi and staff once again made a tremendous effort to personally get out and meet with many members and prospects to discuss new developments at ASA. “Printed material, articles and advertisements do not substitute for the fact this is a face-to-face, relationship-based industry,” Adelizzi stated. “Although ASA’s membership growth over the last two years is far beyond anything that any of us would have imagined, we have only just begun. 2014 promises to be an even more involved travel year for us.”
Throughout the past year, Dan Hilton, ASA’s director of government affairs and our “man in Washington,” has kept ASA members informed of pending industry-related legislation through regular visits to Capitol Hill. Dan also organized “Hill visits” for ASA members during NetworkASA 2013 in Washington, D.C., in early October.
ASA also worked hard throughout 2013 in the development of its already thriving forecasting program. Members have greatly benefitted by receiving the monthly ASA Advisor to provide clarity as to what is happening in the PVF and PHCP markets.
ASA continues to be driven by strategic governance and long-range planning, which has been instrumental in delivering the many new programs that have led to the association’s resurgence. And after several years of streamlining operating costs and expanding revenues, a financially healthy ASA has emerged as quite capable of delivering these programs and with an enhanced ability to lead the industry.
As 2014 will undoubtedly be a very interesting and challenging year, ASA will be at the forefront of helping its members succeed.
