The IPPCA (International Professional Pond Companies Association) is pleased to announce to its membership and the Pond and Waterscape Industry at large, that many actions have been taken in the last two weeks that will see the Association moving forward in a new and positive direction.
**First and foremost**, the IPPCA is debt free for the first time since its launch as an association in 2004. This may not seem like much to some, but without the gracious monetary investments of those with the vision and fore-sight, the IPPCA would not exist today, and a very heartfelt Thank You goes to all those that did invest and believe in the IPPCA. As it has been since inception, the IPPCA Executive Committee and its Board of Directors will continue to act in good faith, and as always focused “as job one” on its mission statement: “To Promote, Protect and Advance the Pond and Waterscape Industry.”
**Number two:** The IPPCA Board of Directors has done a thorough investigation of the association’s books since its inception, and has found absolutely no improprieties whatsoever.
**Number three:** The IPPCA Board of Directors, two weeks ago, established a committee to review and modify the bylaws of the IPPCA to be more reflective of modern times and to alleviate the burden of the day-to-day running of the association left by the past board’s modifications of the bylaws. This has been done for the good of the Association and the Pond Industry at large. These new bylaws have been approved by the Executive Committee and will be presented to the general membership for comment and adoption shortly. They will then need to be submitted to the State of Georgia for review and approval.
**Number Four:** The IPPCA’s new Executive Committee is comprised of: Rocke Huntington of the Pond Dragon as Interim President, Mike Garcia of Enviroscapes as Interim President Elect, Randy Stewart of Unit Liner as Interim Vice President and Valerie Steele of Savio Engineering as Interim Treasurer.
The new IPPCA, as the old, will be run by the Board of Directors. **The difference is the format, which is comprised of the Executive Committee and up to 6 (six) Board at large members.** The Executive committee will consist of; Past President, President, President Elect, Vice President, and Treasurer. Each will serve a one-year term. Each year, the Executive Committee will invite one of the “Board at Large” members to take over the Treasurers position. At this time, the old Treasurer will move up to the Vice President’s position, the Vice President will move up to the President Elect position and so on. This is being modeled on the structure of the Irrigation Association, which has been in existence since 1948. Each year, the general membership will be asked for nominations to general ballot to fill “Board at large” positions.
The IPPCA Board of Directors has the highest confidence that this new format as well as other actions that it will be taking in the near future will move the association forward in a positive and productive manner. A special thank you to all of the loyal IPPCA members that have had faith in the association and have ridden out one more bump in the road as we all move forward in the new millennium.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
