MESSAGE FROM MEMBER SERVICES
Growing and
Strengthening PDCA
By Matt Bisbee, Director of Member Services, PDCA
As we begin a new year, PDCA has taken the steps to aggressively
pursue an ongoing and important priority: membership
development. This has traditionally been a function of
the PDCA national office, often supplemented by existing members.
However, the efforts put forth by members and staff have previously
been described as “passive” in nature, and many believe we can do
even better.
Some of the methods for membership development that we
have employed to date include advertising through PileDriver magazine
and other publications; pitching audiences at PDCA events;
circulating membership applications at industry functions; and promoting
our newly redesigned web-based application system, which
is now a very quick and user-friendly tool for interested parties to
submit dues and enroll in the association. Collectively, all of this has
grown membership. However, our leadership has determined that an
additional PDCA staff position dedicated to identifying and enrolling
new members will lead to further and faster association growth.
Effective in January, the PDCA Board of Directors created a new
position in the national office entitled director of member services,
which has a defined scope of membership retention and development
while also providing support to local PDCA chapters.
After a thorough interviewing process with PDCA’s incoming
and outgoing executive directors, I am pleased to announce that
I have committed to expand the membership, become a greater
resource to our chapters and assist the organization as needed to support,
strengthen and grow PDCA. I offer many thanks to the board
for making this important position available, to the staff for welcoming
me into the office and to the entire membership for recognizing
that the pile driving industry can improve and flourish when we all
band together behind our common interests and mission to “effectively
communicate the benefits of the driven pile through education
and continuous improvement of methods, material and equipment
to the industry.”
A little bit about me – I come to PDCA with an expansive
and diverse background in the association and non-profit sector.
Some of the associations for which I have worked include the
National Federation of Independent Business, the Florida Public
Defender Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for
Legal Reform, the Merchant’s Payments Coalition and the Dirksen
Congressional Center. Functions I have performed in some or all
these associations include new membership development, member
retention, communications, marketing, legislative advocacy, member
It is very important that I include
this invitation to all readers of
PileDriver magazine – I want your
input and guidance when you
believe it is advantageous and
appropriate for the association to
pursue new members of PDCA.
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