MEMBERSHIP

• ALNLA membership totals over 600
• Welcomed 40 new ALNLA members in 2007
• ALNLA News published quarterly
• New ALNLA and ALCLP logos
• Recognized 11 ALCLP graduates at a luncheon at The Club in Birmingham, October 23
• Development of Long Range Plan by 2007 Board of Directors, who identified 6 goals for the association
  • Marketing
  • Education
  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Governmental Affairs
  • Certification
  • Research

EDUCATION

• Retail Training Program "Spring Training: Prepping for Profit," North Shelby County Library, March 6
• Auburn Landscape and Master Gardener School, August 14-15, Auburn
• Southern Plant Conference, September 5-8, Mobile
• Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute Certification Training, October 23-24, Auburn
• Five Nursery grower “Best Management Practices” meetings in Athens, Auburn, Clanton, Mobile, and Montgomery with distribution of SNA Best Management Practice manuals to attendees

GULF STATES HORTICULTURE EXPO

• 2007 was record year for distributions

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

• 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner—Buddy Martin of Martin’s Nursery, Inc.
• 2007 Horizon Award Winner—Leah Quarles of Landscape Workshop, Inc.
• Over $14,000 in academic scholarships
• ALNLA was welcomed into the Auburn University 1856 Society and recognized for gifts to Auburn University of over $125,000, October 26

SPONSORSHIPS

• Tree City, USA, Auburn, June 2007
• ACES Annual Meeting, Guntersville, June 2007
• Friends and Family Reunion of AU Hort Department at SNA, August 10, 2007
• Southern Plant Conference, September 5-8, 2007
• Welcome Day for Auburn Horticulture Students, September 21, 2007
• AU Horticulture student trip to Southern Region IPPS, October 2007
• Henry P. Orr Memorial Golf Tournament and Dinner, November 8, 2007

PARTNERSHIPS

• ANLA Lighthouse Program
• Southeast Greenhouse Conference
• Gulf States Horticulture Expo
• EPA WaterSense Program
• PLANET
• Irrigation Association of Alabama (IAA)

REPRESENTATION ON VARIOUS COMMITTEES:

• ALFA Greenhouse, Nursery and Sod Committee—Bill Cook, Bob Moore, Steve Thomas, David Wright, Bethany O’Rear
• Gulf States Horticulture Expo—Steve Hanna, Steve Thomas
• Invasive Plant Council—Harvey Cotten
• Southeast Greenhouse Conference—Carole Barton, Andy Zimlich
• Southern Plant Conference—Bill Turk, Steve Thomas, Steve Hanna, Jim Van Antwerp

GREEN ISSUES MONITORED

• Immigration
  • A member of the Alabama Employers for Immigration Reform
  • Carole Barton testified before the Joint Interim Patriotic Immigration Commission in Montgomery about immigration concerns in the Green Industry.
• 2007 Drought
  • Proposed model water restriction ordinance to 28 Birmingham area municipalities
  • Carole Barton was interviewed by Tim Lennox on PBS TV program “For the Record.”
  • Numerous meetings with the Birmingham Water Works officials.
  • Phillip Hunter, Carole Barton, and Jim Van Antwerp spoke at the Birmingham Water Works Summit.
• Invasive Plants, Emergency Relief, SOD and others
• Economic Impact Study to begin January 2008.
• Six ALNLA members met with the Alabama Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. and other legislative office personnel.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Gulf States Horticulture Expo, January 17-19, 2008
• Alabama Green Industry Economic Impact 2008
• Economic Impact of the 2007 Alabama Drought – January 2008 questionnaire
• Ag Census, 2008 – growers please participate!

If you are interested in becoming more involved in the Association
please call James at 334-821-5148.