Geosynthetics October/November 2020 - 40

GMA NEWS

By Bryan Gee and
Fred C. Chuck

Chair's corner
GMA is dedicated to
our members' success.
GMA actively identifies,
assesses, analyzes
and acts upon market
growth opportunities
and issues that affect
its member companies.
The activities of
the association are
proactive in nature and
center on five areas:
» Engineering support
» Business development
» Education
» Government relations
» Geosynthetics industry
recognition

Fred C. Chuck is the
executive director of GMA.

Division
Geosynthetics is the official
publication of the Geosynthetic
Materials Association.

By Bryan Gee

am honored and humbled to assume the responsibilities of chair of the Geosynthetic
Materials Association (GMA) executive council. During my time as an active participant in GMA, the organization has been fortunate to have the excellent leadership of Boyd
Ramsey, Keith Gardner and Fred Chuck as chairs, and we are fortunate to have Chuck
remaining with us as executive director. I will do my best to continue building our association on the solid foundation left by my predecessors.
As we look to the future for GMA, we need to focus on three primary areas where we
have the greatest opportunity to positively affect our industry:
* Awareness and advocacy
* Membership benefits and growth
* Identification and fulfillment of end-use customers' needs
In the areas of awareness and advocacy, we are building on a strong track record and adding new initiatives to further extend our influence. Our government relations efforts at both
the federal and state levels are the envy of other industry associations-we are known and
respected by both executive and legislative branches, and we have used that strong position
to forcefully advocate for the recognition of the benefits we provide in the transportation
sector, the environmental sector and beyond. Now we are adding initiatives in marketing
and education for the industry to grow our presence even more.
As we look for ways to grow our membership and offer additional value to our members,
we will be soliciting input through a member survey. We will use the information we receive
to generate new ideas and opportunities to make GMA a positive driver for growth in the
businesses of our member companies. We will also review our strategic plan and adjust it
as necessary to position GMA for continued success as an association.
Finally, each of us in the industry depends on the success of our end-use customers.
Using the information from our industry marketing initiative and other opportunities to
hear the voices of our customers, we will explore new ways to improve our ability to deliver
the significant benefits offered by all our products and services.
This is an ambitious agenda for an uncertain time, with the COVID-19 pandemic and
other world events promising more surprises to come. But GMA has proven its strength
over the years, and there is every reason to believe that with the unique and talented people
in our organization, our success can continue. I sincerely hope you remain safe and successful through the pandemic.
As my friend Dr. David Elton, at Auburn University, says: Stay positive. Test negative.

GMA happenings
By Fred C. Chuck

While sheltering-in-place orders and travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic
have prevented us from continuing our visits to Washington, D.C., as well as limited our

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Geosynthetics October/November 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Geosynthetics October/November 2020