USLGA 2014 Accomplishments

2014 has been a big year for the United States Lavender Growers Association! We celebrated our two-year anniversary this past April and currently have over 230 members, which is a 35% increase in the past year. Our public presence has been growing too! We now have active Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter accounts and our Facebook page has seen an increase in ‘likes’ of over 50% since 2013. We presented our inaugural LIFT (Lavender Ideas For Tomorrow) Award to Kathy Gehrt, author of Discover Cooking With Lavender, in recognition of the work, imagination and inspiration she provided to the lavender industry through her writing, sharing and teaching about culinary lavender. We have also compiled and released our second Annual US Lavender Harvest Report, which is the first in-depth one produced. It is available to grower, associate and affiliate members of USLGA. Below is a list of our notable accomplishments from 2014.

  • Organizational Achievements
    • Received IRS determination letter stating legitimate non-profit status
    • Conflict of Interest Policy for board members created and put into action
    • Updated & revised Bylaws and Policies and Procedures
    • Advocacy Committee became a standing committee
    • Event Committee became a standing committee
    • Ad-hoc Design Committee established
    • Board expanded to ten seats
    • New officers voted in
    • Extended officer term to 2-years
    • Nomination Committee ran two elections
    • USLGA Vision revised
    • Transitioned to a new attorney
    • Committee Info Sheets created
    • Logo Use Policy created
    • 2-day virtual board retreat
  • Marketing and Promotional Achievements
    • USLGA branded products (mugs, magnets, apparel) created
    • 3 Press releases written and released (our first official!)
    • New versions of the USLGA logo containing membership labels were created
    • Advertised in Oregon Lavender Destination Guide and Mother Earth Living
    • Info table and merchandise sales at NRLC II
    • Facebook feed added to website (right column)
    • Informational postcard highlighting membership benefits and resources available on the website was created and made available to the public
    • Branding
      • Design Committee hired graphic artist
      • A series of publication templates created for committee use
      • Brand Guideline created
      • Image Gallery established (with associated release forms created)
  • Operational Achievements
    • Google phone number established: (317) 67-USLGA
    • Nominee Packet (including a revised Nominee Questionnaire) was created
    • Internet Committee hired web consultant
    • Website back-end updates – more than most of us could attempt to comprehend
    • Publication Team established
  • Financial Achievements
    • Transitioned to new bank
    • 2014 Budget approved
    • Membership renewal invoicing schedule restructured
  • International Networking Achievements
    • Working relationship with Romanian Lavender Association started
    • Working relationship with Australian Lavender Association growing
  • Membership Development Achievements
    • Committee Participation Guideline created
    • Committee Work List created for chair and committee use
    • Letter of Recognition process started for committee member participation
    • Meet The Members (member spotlight) back in the Newsletter
    • Mother Earth Living ad deal offered to members
    • Paper membership application simplified
    • Member Directory reviewed for accuracy and discrepancies
    • Member Products & Services Directory
    • Closed Facebook Group (member-only) established
    • Concept and structure for ‘regions/districts’ begun
  • Educational, Research & Advocacy Achievements
    • New articles posted on website
      • Harvest Measurement Worksheet created and distributed
      • Harvest Survey created and distributed
      • Harvest Survey report compiled and published
      • Winter Kill statement distributed
      • Educational Articles published – Lavender 101: Lavender Varieties by Donna Anderson, Certified Naturally Grown: Is It For You? By Mike Neustrom, Certified Organic: To Be or Not To Be by Lila Avery-Fuson, Tips For Enhancing Winter Survival by Dr. Curtis Swift
    • Advocacy Insurance Survey created and distributed
  • Newsletters
    • 4 Quarterly Member Newsletters created and published
  • Event Production Achievements
    • Event Committee formed
    • Event Committee hired event consultant
    • 2015 United States Lavender Conference planning and marketing activities