RESILIENT AND INSPIRING

Well, we did it! Through a whirlwind of late frosts, drought and ever-changing COVID restrictions, we somehow blinked and have found ourselves in the fall season. As things have been opening up for more in-person, and less virtual, business and events, there has been an overwhelming sigh of relief from our industry. Through all of it, our members have been resilient and inspiring.

Spring started with record sales numbers and continued plant shortages. Meanwhile, the summer heat and lessening restrictions seemed to bring us back to normal or more accurately, our “new normal”. Just as members have found new ways to conduct business and creative ways to stay connected, VNLA has been making ground on new and exciting advances.

By the time you have this in your hands, we will have done the soft launch for our new VNLA Website. Shellie and our partners at Leading Edge have been diligently working through any glitches, and we have prioritized sections of the launch to occur first. By prioritizing these very important features, it will enable us to operate more efficiently and interact with basic membership transactions in what we hope to be a seamless manner. We appreciate your patience and understanding through this process and are so excited to hear your feedback once everything is fully launched.

We also have new and exciting things moving forward with the VNLA’s VCH credential. We look forward to the capabilities that will come with our new online CEU reporting system, once launched. From there, we will not stop but will focus on updating our study materials, exam and the way in which training and exams are available to our members. Likewise, our new website will continue to evolve to be a strong resource for our members. We have to put the foundation in place first, but we feel it is important for you to know where we are going.

As you may be aware, there are currently a number of legislative work ing groups that actively strive to work through important legislation. Some of this legislation could significantly impact our industry, and we are there every step of the way, protecting the interests of our members and trying to find effective solutions. We thank each of you who have reached out to your legislators, whether virtually or in person. The collective voice and individual stories help our association and industry immensely. We are also fortunate to have formed strong partnerships over the years with VAC, AmericanHort, Mission H20 and others who help keep us informed and who advocate with our interests in mind.

Shellie, the Board and I thank each of you and the industry partners we have, for your support, patience and inspiration. We have enjoyed being able to see many of you in person and look forward to more opportunities to connect.

Warm Regards,

Seana Ankers

VNLA President

Sankers.vnla@gmail.com

571-419-7228