Guest Post: Carol Blattau, Mariner Management
…and we can’t think of a better time to sincerely thank all those volunteers that have kept their associations up and running! And what a year it’s been! Despite a global pandemic, many volunteers have stepped up to the plate, shifting focus as needed and never faltering in their resolve.
Today, we’re going to do a shoutout to the two clients that we manage. Both associations work in industries that found the pandemic and the resulting closures especially difficult to navigate, yet both were able to pivot to meet the needs of their members.
Maryland Recycling Network (MRN) consists of a group of individuals and organizations, including government agencies and vendors, working in the solid waste and recycling industry. The very nature of their work presented unique challenges including uncertain budgets and a changing waste streams as well as the option of working from home a non-starter for many. The 2020/21 Board of Directors jumped into action shifting their monthly webinars to a series of free virtual townhalls focusing on the challenges many jurisdictions faced while exploring what the future may hold. On the legislative front, the Legislative Action Committee was not deterred by a shortened 2020 Legislative session where many bills were shelved. The committee jumped right into 2021 working with sponsors of several relevant bills and testifying as needed. Likewise, the MRN/SWANA-MA Conference committee wasn’t about to let a disappointing 2020 cancellation be repeated and so with the future of in-person events still up in the air in Maryland, the committee shifted to a unique 2 half-day virtual conference scheduled for June 2021. Read more about all these super volunteers.
