Todd Starner, Starner Brothers Pools Inc.
Membership is defined as belonging to a group or the body of members, the collective group of people belonging to an organization/association. FSPA is an association of pool professionals, but FSPA is unique in that it is an association that is inclusive in the pool industry. Meaning that FSPA has several different types of membership opportunities. We have pool builders, pool renovation contractors, pool service and repair contractors, pool sales, pool industry product manufacturing, pool retail stores/distributors and even pool swim instructors and swim schools.
So, what does membership mean to you, the members? Well, speaking for myself, membership has many meanings. It is the opportunity to network with my fellow peers. It is also a great way to meet new people and make new friends. For me, it has also given me the opportunity to work with and learn new things in the industry. One thing that stands out to me is learning the ins and outs of government relations from Dallas Thiesen, FSPA Chief Government Relations Officer. I also enjoy being able to help others and to have resources to ask questions myself. So how do we go out and talk to those non-members and get them excited about FSPA’s membership so that they join? That can be answered in many ways.
For example, if someone wants to participate in the service committee of the FSPA, the simple fact that FSPA can help a new member achieve their goal of becoming a licensed contractor through their 60-hour course and then you have the opportunity to help mentor them in their journey. That is why I believe the mentorship program is so important. This program can help both the new member and the association. Another example is that FSPA can help members with finding new qualified employees through the new job board. FSPA also offers all the education a pool professional could want, with the ability to offer in-person classes at Chapter meetings and at the yearly Everything Under the Sun® Expo. FSPA has so much to offer the “single poler” all the way to an individual with multiple employees.
It is important for current members to reach out to those non-members we see every day. Just a simple “hello” can start the conversation that could lead to the possibility of a new member. Again, I ask that every FSPA member bring one new pool professional to your local Chapter meeting and/or our “cheers and beers” events for them to see for themselves what our association is about. If they never receive an invitation, they may never come to see what we are about and that would be a shame. Like I say often, “it’s so easy, it’s hard.” Or is it?
As the FSPA membership chairman, I would like to thank you all, the Chapter coordinators and all those who do so much behind the scenes. I also want to thank the membership team for all their hard work. To the FSPA members, thank you for talking up FSPA and for bringing new members into the association.
