Champions of the Environment

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VGIC Strategic Plan 2008-2009 Mission Statement: To unify, strengthen and promote the Green Industry and maintain, promote professional industry practices and principles that Keep Virginia Green And Growing. Vision Statement: VGIC is the proactive voice of Virginia’s Green Industry coordinating industry organizations, providing education, environmental guidelines and other information keeping Virginia green and growing. Slogan – GoGreen, Keep Virginia Green and Growing. Environmental Statement of Ethics Virginia’s Green Industry, the organization and all of its representatives, are encouraged to adhere to the highest environmental and professional standards. Goal #1: Expand the membership of the Council by December 31, 2009 Strategies: Create a committee that is driven to generate greater green organization’s membership. Identify and market the benefits of belonging to VGIC. Increase creditability with awards and recognitions by annually recognizing and publicize individual businesses for green practices who have been outstanding in their field and selected by their trade association. Develop committees to make suggestions for membership to be better Champions of the Environment with annual updates.   Goal #2: VGIC is further recognized as the unified, proactive voice of Green Industry issues in Virginia by December 31, 2009. Strategies: Identify Green Industry issues to be managed in 2008 (new committee) Coordinate distribution of vital information about Green Industry issues. Encourage high professional standards of Green Industry businesses. Continue to brand VGIC utilizing the branding study and materials. Serve as liaison between the Green Industry and the Virginia Agribusiness Council.

	Generate non-dues revenue.
	Identify key Green Industry strategic partners and sponsorships.
	Hold Green-industry events to showcase Virginia’s Green products and services.

	Continually recruit, train and have a succession plan for volunteer leaders.
	Hold quarterly Board of Directors Meetings.
	Establish and maintain committees: Membership, Education and others as needed.

Value Assessment: Values most important to the group are to maintain high ethics, quality/strategic alliances, and a positive image of the industry.

VGIC’s Primary Customer is the Green Industry member association/organization.

VGIC’s Secondary Customers are the general public, legislators, regulatory agencies and providers of products and services to the Green Industry.

To be relevant to the industry (council should have a defined purpose, since membership is so varied)

Educate and promote

a. Have a "townhall" industry seminar on a key issue (immigration, water, invasives, etc)

	i. Action: MAHSC seminar/townhall on current industry issue at a lunch meeting. (roundtable discussion)
	ii. Promote immigration discussion, registration with MAHSC, box lunch, brief presentation by "knowledge expert" on issue.
	iii. Solicit members of the green industry with a personal 1-on-1 invitation to a fun/educational/hospitality event that is part of another event

The associations and other members of VGIC come together on issues

	c. They discuss and resolve, perhaps have seminars to educate members
	d. Then they enter the legislative process as one unified voice to promote a position on those issues
	e. This outcome (legislative support) is a service of VGIC to its members

Develop position statements on issues that support/help the member organizations based on a consensus of the group

	f. Promote professional practice and principles
	g. Complete development of a water management plan (e.g. drought, runoff, water quality, erosion, groundwater recharge) by having representation on the Water Quality Control Board

Members advertise our events in their newsletters and website

	h. Help consumers make informed choices
	i. Educate and communicate to public
	j. Membership should advertise VGIC by using logo

Membership

	Define tangible benefits
	Partner with other organizations’ membership drives
	Recruit industry membership and grow membership with a membership drive
	Challenge each existing member to bring in one new member
	Some people are waiting for a personal one-on-one member invite
	Solicit sponsors
	Seek out organizations that are not already members and partner with them, which will bolster the industry’s strength and representation (corollary – "increase membership")
	To be relevant to the industry (Council should have a defined purpose, since membership is so varied)
	Do we really know why they’re not active and do we need to survey VGIC members?
	Expand levels of membership

	a. "steering committee" the voting body of organizations who send a representative
	b. Individual memberships – non-voting but different level of dues paying’
	c. "Supporters" to generate non-dues revenue through donations
	d. Other "list-serv members

Send out logo and materials to members When membership invoices go out, call members and non-members on why not a member Seek out organizations that are not already members and partner with them, which will bolster the industry’s strength and representation (corollary "increase membership")

Financial

	strengthen financial base through sponsorships
	Generate additional non-dues revenue

Clearinghouse

	To be a clearinghouse so that it informs members of up-to-date changes, issues, opportunities, etc in the industry
	The existing council organization members need to share information that their respective associations provide to their individual members (ex. An association has monthly meetings with special speakers, that info could be posted.) Maybe council members could have a password to access that info.
	"Providing information" may not be enough.

Legislative/Regulatory Issues

	To complete development of a water management plan
	Develop a strong voice to network agribusiness council on legislative issues

Activities to support

	Website, press releases, Garden Festival, State Fair Gardens
	Emphasize certification
	Emphasize ‘green’ BMPs, and that we are the original green industry
	Promote education programs
	Promote certification on consumer website
	Promote environmental statement
	Have events at other industry events
	Partner with other events

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