Signs of the Times - September 2012 - 71

Looking Ahead
ISA’s proposed changes will benefit the industry.
By Duane Laska
Duane Laska is president of North Shore Sign Co. (Libertyville, IL) and ISA’s 2012 Chairman of the Board. In September, all International Sign Assn. (ISA) members will receive a ballot to vote on significant changes to ISA bylaws. The changes primarily address two main areas: membership and governance. If you’re an ISA member, please take a few minutes to read about the changes and send in your ballot. I believe the changes, if approved, will have a positive impact on the sign industry. I urge you to review the information before casting your vote. Here are some commonly asked questions and answers that summarize the proposed changes. What are the key elements of the proposed changes? When a sign company joins a state or regional, affiliated sign association, the company would automatically become a member of ISA. The affiliated sign association retains all the dues for that membership, and remains autonomous and independent. National sign companies and suppliers/distributors will be encouraged to join their local associations and to join ISA as “ISA Direct” members. In addition, ISA’s leadership would be structured to include a 15-person board and three Steering Committees that represent custom-sign companies that belong to affiliated associations; direct-member sign companies; and suppliers and distributors. What does this mean for my company? To receive benefits such as networking, sign-code assistance, technical guidance, education and research, among other services, a sign company will have one association to join, instead of multiple organizations. What does this mean for my local sign association? Affiliated sign associations will work more closely with ISA to offer enhanced programs and services necessary to further the industry’s goals. Local associations will be able to offer ISA membership as an added benefit to joining their organizations. What does this mean for the industry? A unified front will deliver a stronger message to legislative and regulatory bodies. Your company, and the industry as a whole, will benefit from a strong united voice, which we believe will yield better sign codes and favorable regulations. How will companies be represented on the ISA board? The ISA board must include at least six sign companies, three suppliers/distributors and two at-large positions. The Steering Committees (Affiliated Association Sign Companies, Direct Member Sign Companies, Suppliers/ Distributors), which recommend candidates for board services and provide strategic guidance to the ISA board, will each have 5-7 company representatives. There will be leadership opportunities for 25-30 signcompany representatives in a given year. Every effort will be made to include representation that’s a diverse industry cross-section. Such characteristics as geographic location, company size and scope, and prior industry leadership will be among the many factors considered when filling volunteer positions. How will ISA support state or regional associations? ISA will continue to provide important sign-code and regulatory work, and will be the industry’s voice in federal regulatory and legislative matters. ISA will continue to conduct industry research and education, which will be made available to affiliated-sign-association members. ISA also will continue to offer member pricing on the industry’s premier networking and technology showcase, the International Sign Expo. In addition, the ISA board will continue to develop a budget each year that seeks to further the association’s goals. This will include funding for certain affiliatedassociation programs and services. I want to sincerely thank the many volunteers and association staff, who have worked on this reorganization for more than two years. More than 70 volunteers participated in the numerous conversations that helped develop this proposal. Their work was invaluable, and I’m grateful to have witnessed firsthand their passion and commitment to the sign industry. They’ve created the template for an improved structure that will better serve our industry’s everchanging needs. I support this reorganization, and I hope that you will as well. ■
SIGNS OF THE TIMES / SEPTEMBER 2012 / www.signweb.com 71

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Signs of the Times - September 2012

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