Re: New Association...

Posted By Fred on 4/10/2008 at 11:38 PM

Here is a copy of a post from another board. Good reading on this:

Notes from Connections Association conference call

March 24th, 2008

Craig Kersemier started the meeting by explaining the idea “had just
come up” on a trip to Florida to scout hotels for upcoming conventions.

Craig: More discussion ensued on the “restoration cruise” when Barry

Costa approached Craig and asked him to discuss the idea with any
Connections Board members that were on the cruise. Barry, Larry,
Craig and Cliff Grost decided to press ahead with a timeline of:

March 24, Discuss with other Reps and get approval to move ahead.

May15th, Take formal vote to spend Connection’s money to start a new

association

April Announce intent to form an association to the industry

September 22nd, Promote new association to Connections attendees.

December, Regional associations turn over their membership and funds

to new association.

The PowerPoint presentation was shown with slides being pulled very
quickly while Craig did a high-speed talk of benefits of the planned
arrangement.

He said the time is right, now.

We have the advantage of the “Connections Team”, We need an

industry voice… a list of potential benefits was posted, most of which
would be familiar to anyone involved in a trade association, and most
of which would either never happen or would have limited value to
members.
Larry: If we don’t do this, someone else will.

- He said that ICS Magazine/BNP Media has planned to do their own

convention and start a cleaning association to compete with
Connections. He said that he has threatened them with something,
which remained unspecified, if they do.

- IAQA was going to move beyond air quality issues and become a
national cleaning organization. No specifics.

- RIA is a threat, but Larry then said that they were in “disarray” and
weren’t really a threat. He had talked to Don Manger, RIA executive,
who told him that the RIA had no interest in working with Connections.

- The IICRC was going to be an association, but Larry had been

working behind the scenes to get them to agree to a “non-compete”
agreement.

Craig: We would have to work on defining regions and how

membership would be split up. The goal at this time would be to work
as a “sister” organization to the IICRC and help them build and grow.

The “Charter Member” would be anyone that signed up the first year,
and would get their membership for free – subsidized using
Connections money.

Craig read quickly through a list of possible benefits, which mostly

sounded like a way to provide steady work for IICRC instructors and
inspectors. There were also several services listed that would be
available from outside vendors at a “special rate” for members.

Larry: Said that he had already lined up a bunch of companies that

wanted to provide their services at a discount to members.

Craig: Promised Grants and scholarships to be given to members so

they can attend courses at a discount. He didn’t say where the money
would come from, but mentioned that maybe through the same World
Floor program that all associations now offer.

Craig: Discussion of splitting the country up by state, climates,

population clusters. Those new regions would

each have a rep on the new association Board, the current regional
association would dissolve, and they would give their members and
funds to the new national group.

Larry: I’m negotiating with Tom Hill at the IICRC as to how the new
IICRC Board would look without regional association reps.

QUESTIONS

LM: Clarify how this affects the complexion of current associations? No

answer.

RT: I’m involved with several associations, has anyone investigated

just what running a national association will entail? Answer, Larry: Yes,
I’ve talked to people from at least 60 organizations. We know exactly
what we have to do.

MW: Lonnie didn’t get an answer to his question of regional

breakdowns. No answer.

TG: What is the timeline for an answer to this proposal? Answer, Craig:
Between now and May. Get info from your Board and vote in May.

JO: Who will run this organization? Have you looked into hiring an
accredited association manager?

Answer, Craig: Larry will run it, since he’s volunteered and is already in
place.

RD: Who manages the new regionals? Answer, Craig: We will provide
education that regional groups aren’t providing now.

Larry: We’ll present seminars that will cross the country. We’ll handle
all the logistics and collect the money for you. We’ll be able to
negotiate the best prices.

Cliff Grost: Connections is already in place! There is no need to look

for any outside management! You’ll see how great it will be!
RT: I hope you’ve thought about how this impacts you and the IICRC.
The IICRC will only allow one representative from any association, so
by all joining into one you’ll lose twelve seats on the IICRC Board. I
think your timeline is hopelessly optimistic.

Answer, Larry: I’ve been working “behind the scenes” with the IICRC
to work around the rules. Hello – any alarm bells going off ??

RT: Representation in Connections and IICRC is a conflict of interest

when the same people will be voting on both side of the same issue.
No response.

RT: IICRC registrants are already confused and think they belong to an
association. How are you going to explain that their membership
doesn’t get them anything at IICRC or vice-versa?

Answer, Craig: Better communication is the answer.

MO: What if an association doesn’t want to join? Answer, Craig: I don’t

know.

RM: What happens to regional group’s funds?

Answer, Craig: Pay for your member’s first year of national

membership and give the rest to the national.

RP: This appears to be a top-down organization, not a grass-roots

organization. I don’t see a cleaning firm owner having any feeling of
ownership. A close connection to IICRC may be troublesome. Answer,
Craig: At least the member would have someone looking out for them.
If they want to feel ownership they have to volunteer to work for the
association.

Larry: IICRC Certified Firms and the CF program would have to be

moved to the new association.

Craig: Many CFs don’t belong to an association.

JO: If a large percentage of Connections attendees don’t belong to an
association, it’s because they don’t want to. National or regional
doesn’t matter to them; they aren’t going to be members.

Answer, Craig: Benefits are the key. If I call a carpet mill representing
the 60 members of the AWCC, they don’t come to the phone. If I call
as the President of a 3,500 member association, they’ll answer. We can
big deal the big players.

Jane: These members don’t care about “national” issues and events.

Answer, Larry: We’ll work state by state to get legislation passed and
stop things that will hurt members. We already have done a great deal
in Colorado with insurance companies and mold regulations. But this is
not an easy task.

JH: Would people be more likely to be involved if they are working

from the bottom up rather than top down? September seems to be too
soon.

Answer, Larry: That’s the reason for this call; getting everyone working
together.

M: I think the restoration discussion board is too controversial to be a

real threat. How does LMCCA serve their members as part of a
national? Wouldn’t they just lose their identity? I also think the
timeline is too short and this is not a responsible way to go about it.
No answer.

MO: What’s the next step? Answer, Craig: Continue the conversation in
your group. I don’t know and don’t have any answers. Larry:
Conference calls. Craig: Any of the Connections group will travel to
attend regional Board meetings to talk to your Board members and
explain the advantages.

MO: Are there more meetings scheduled? What are the dates? Answer,
Craig: I have no answers. I don’t take any questions about this
personally. If no one wants to do this we don’t.
Jim Holland: A slower timeline would make good business sense in
normal times, but you have to move fast because there is danger of
competition and other groups taking over. RIA is run by a Belfor guy.
IAQA is now run by a Belfor guy. Larry: BNP Media. We didn’t want to
do this in secret. Craig: We don’t have answers on purpose. We
needed to start a discussion.

Cliff Grost: WE are the grass-roots people and we’ll be building a

clean, mean machine of an association. RIA has 1,300 members, IAQA
has 3,000, and we’ll have more!

RM: We’ll need some more concrete answers or no one will get on
board. No answer.

R: You’ve been coy about supposed threats to regionals. I’d like to

know more about these. No answer.

LM: Ruth mentioned Connections and IICRC conflicts. If ICS/BNP

Media is in conflict with Connection now, and if they’re a threat, our
ads should be pulled immediately and ICS should be boycotted. What
are the proposed operating costs of this association? Startup costs?
You have no answers!

Answer, Larry: I have a meeting set up with BNP on the 28th. I have
already threatened them with a boycott.

The IAQA is a well-run organization that we have to look out for. I

invited RIA to join us, but their executive, Don Manger, said they had
no interest in working with us. I will not be boycotting ICS at this time.

LM: You didn’t answer the question about costs.

Answer, Larry: Do you want me to put this thing together and just tell
you what to do?

JO: I think we’d be better off working with our members to get them
to join a national rather than force them to join by dissolving the
regional association that they originally chose to join. Members of
regional groups have an emotional attachment to their group, and
want to be part of great organizations. You’ve mentioned taking in all
of the Certified Firms and Connections attendees using low initial
pricing, but strong members will only stay with the right group.
Answer, Craig: Just need the right benefits.

GG: The Connections group has proven what can be done and how
good Connections is run. Offering free memberships is the key. We can
use Connections money to make this happen.

LM: Using Connections money to run?

Answer, Craig: Talked for several minutes about many things, but did
not address the question.

Larry: Any other questions? No? Then we should wrap this up.

Craig: If you have any questions, call me at K-Tech Cleaning.

END