Chains of Accomplishments
You can help build success as an Innocent Sellers Team Captain.
In contemporary society, the word “chain” has come to mean everything from intertwining links to a string of business franchises to the device football referees use to measure yardage. A chain symbolizes strength and success, so when links are missing, the chain fails to be as strong as it could be. Generally speaking, the more links, the stronger the chain.
In many ways, implementing a successful advocacy strategy for legislation such as the NLBMDA-initiated Innocent Sellers Fairness Act (H.R. 989) is like creating a chain. The links are dealers willing to help advance liability protection for the building supply industry. But without the efforts of Innocent Sellers Team Captains, links would remain separate and fail to combine into a strong grassroots initiative.
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association is expanding Innocent Sellers outreach and is looking for people to serve as Team Captains. Assigned by state or region, Team Captains are the principal liaisons between dealers and NLBMDA’s government affairs staff. Team Captains help NLBMDA staff identify dealers who have personal relationships with members of Congress. They also use a variety of means to recruit dealers to lobby legislators. These include contacting legislators via www.buildthevote.org, hosting lumberyard tours, participating in meetings in lawmakers’ district offices, and writing letters to newspapers to explain abusive lawsuits in the industry.
To enhance grassroots coordination, Team Captains participate in quarterly conference calls with NLBMDA’s government affairs team to report progress and discuss problems. NLBMDA staff provides any materials needed for Innocent Sellers promotion (issue briefs, LuDPAC and Team ISFA participation forms, sample letters, etc.). Essentially, NLBMDA staff does the heavy lifting, but a lawmaker is more likely to respond favorably when dealers in his or her district ask that legislator to co-sponsor the bill.
The Team Captains initiative works. Case in point: our Team Captains for Illinois–Barry Johnson, Dan Welty, and Terry Holm–have reached out to dealers across the state, raising funds for Innocent Sellers, recruiting additional Team Captains, and urging dealers to get involved. As a result, several Illinois lawmakers have co-sponsored Innocent Sellers.
Team Captains are still needed for several states and regions, so please contact Sarah Owen of NLBMDA at 800.634.8645, or via e-mail at sarah@dealer.org if you are interested. Your participation will assist NLBMDA in forging strong relationships with lawmakers. –Sarah Owen is director of government affairs and grassroots advocacy for NLBMDA.
Go, Team, Go
NLBMDA thanks the following Team Captains for their hard work on behalf of Innocent Sellers. Dan Welty, Jones-Berry Lumber Co., Illinois J. Barry Johnson, Illinois Lumber & Material Dealers Association Terry Holm, Edward Hines Lumber Co., Illinois Davis Boland, Boland Maloney Lumber, Kentucky Jeff Dunn, Mill Creek Lumber & Supply, Oklahoma Peter Casals, Lumbermen’s Association of Texas and Louisiana Diana Perenza, Florence Corp., New York Aisha Tator, Northeastern Retail Lumber Association Matt Petersen, Mead Clark Lumber Co., California
