Advisory Councils & Committees

Volunteer for a Committee or an Advisory Council and you'll help shape association programs and initiatives and you'll create some long-lasting relationships. Advisory Councils and Committees usually meet face-to-face 1-2 times a year (usually during LANDSCAPES) and other meetings are held via conference call. Committee members who attend the face-to-face meeting(s), receive a stipend to offset some of the travel expenses.

Advisory Councils

Government Affairs Advisory Council – Chair: Brandon Sheppard | Staff Liaison: Andrew Bray
As an industry leader, advance and defend the business interests and reputation of the industry in the government affairs and public affairs channels, seeking out and working collaboratively with allied individuals and groups.

Education Advisory Council – Chair: Matthew Gramer | Staff Liaison: Heather Parker
Provides guidance and recommendations to ensure that the association is delivering events, services, and products to support the NALP strategic plan and exceed the expectations of all of our members in the area of education.

Highest Standard Advisory Council – Chair: TBD | Margo Rash
Ensures that the association is delivering programs and services that allow our member businesses to reach and demonstrate the highest standards of professionalism and work quality.

Membership Advisory Council – Chair: Beth Berry | Staff Liaison: Corey Ruple | Scott Savodnik
Guides and directs the current and future membership recruitment and retention efforts, including advising on new member benefits and improvements to current benefits and programs..

International Certification Council – Chair: David Hupman, Landscape Industry Certified Manager & Technician | Committee Staff Liaison: Margo Rash
The vision statement for the association's certification program is, "Driven by market demand, every professional landscape firm aspires to have NALP-certified employees on staff." The International Certification Council (ICC) is the group that seeks to make its vision a reality by establishing certification programs, administering exams, and enforcing ethical compliance of all certification programs on behalf of NALP. There are eight members who serve three-year terms. For more information on serving on this Council, please contact Margo Rash.

Workforce Advisory Council – Chair: Jim McCutcheon | Staff Liaison: Andrew Bray | Jenn Myers
Creates the strategy and oversees execution of programs and activities to address the industry’s workforce crisis.

Industry Growth Advisory Council – Chair: John Guth | Staff Liaison: Britt Wood
Responsible for programming and activities to shape the public’s perception of the value of managed lawns and landscapes.

Supplier Advisory Council – Co-Chairs: Carol Dilger and Daniel Martin | Staff Liaison: Scott Savodnik
Recognizing the unique position that suppliers have in our industry, this Council advises and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors in response to identified issues facing industry. Acts as a conduit with other suppliers to further engage them in the association.

Committees & Task Forces

Finance Committee - Chair: Bob Grover | Committee Staff Manager: Carol Keeling
The committee provides financial oversight of the association and provides advice and counsel to the Board of Directors on financial matters.

Political Action (PAC) Committee - Chair: David Fleischner | Committee Staff Manager: Andrew Bray
The Political Action committee (PAC) provides members with a way to have their voices heard on Capitol Hill. By contributing to the PAC and combining political donations with all members, the committee helps gain access to key legislators to communicate the value of our industry and support grassroots campaigns.

Renewal & Remembrance Committee - Chair: John Eggleston | Committee Staff Manager: Shaine Anderson
This Committee plans all aspects related to Renewal & Remembrance, a day each July when over 400 members volunteer their skills and/or equipment to beautify and care for the grounds of Arlington National and Historic Congressional cemeteries.

Awards Committee - Chair: Neil Bales | Committee Staff Manager: Valerie Shuford
The Awards Committee manages the Awards of Excellence as well as the leadership awards, given out each year at LANDSCAPES. The Committee supports the programs by continuously working to improve each program, assisting with the judging process, and encouraging members to submit entries.

LANDSCAPES Annual Convention Committee (formerly Green Industry Conference) - Chair: Jerry Grossi | Committee Staff Manager: Cheryl Claborn
This committee plans all aspects of the educational program for the annual LANDSCAPES Convention (formerly the Green Industry Conference), our annual event in October servicing all member companies and their employees.

Safety and Risk Management Committee - Chair: Drew Garcia | Committee Staff Manager: Cheryl Claborn
This committee is dedicated to preventing injury, reducing incidents, minimizing time loss, minimizing risk, reducing claims cost, creating a safe work environment, taking safety excellence to the next level, and achieving loss ratio of 55 percent. These goals are being achieved by fostering a new way of thinking about safety, increasing everyday safety awareness, creating new and revising existing safety publications and training programs, sharing best safety practices, providing proven safety incentive models, providing safety counsel and guidance, and recognizing safety achievement through the Safety Recognition Awards Program.

National Collegiate Landscape Competition (formerly Student Career Days) Committee - Chair: Doug Halsey | Committee Staff Manager: Jenn Myers
This Committee manages this annual event, which happens each March, and caters to both students and faculty, as well as the industry, as the main new employee recruiting event. The committee works closely with the host college faculty representatives in overseeing the success of the program.

Accredited Degree Program Committee - Chair: Jason Cromley | Committee Staff Manager: Jenn Myers

This committee is responsible for the management and growth of NALP’s Accredited Degree Program, the endorsement of schools with landscape contracting curricula that meet or exceed industry standards.

Faculty Advisory Committee - Chair: Tim Schauwecker | Committee Staff Manager: Jenn Myers
This Committee executes strategies and tactics to further engage and serve our educator and student chapter members in all aspects of the association, including providing relevant, useful and appropriate services, communication methods, tools and products. This group also assists with workforce development efforts at the collegiate level, including a focus on recruitment of new students.