In early October, the IICRC convened for several days of meetings that included semi-annual meetings of the Certification Council and the board of directors. As always, these three days were packed with information, and progress was made for moving the organization forward.

In early October, the IICRC convened for several days of meetings that included semi-annual meetings of the Certification Council and the board of directors. As always, these three days were packed with information, and progress was made for moving the organization forward.

It’s during these meetings that you really understand the passion for the IICRC and the industry as a whole – while there isn’t always a consensus, everyone is bringing ideas and recommendations to the table in an effort to make things better.

During the BOD meeting the Executive Committee was elected, and I have full confidence that this year will be a productive one with a solid group of leaders. I’m honored and humbled to serve another year as IICRC Chairman and look forward to doing so.

Change is never easy, but it certainly is inevitable. These meetings confirmed my beliefs that the organization is headed in the right direction. Topics ranging from standards to government affairs were discussed, and feedback was heard from all. For instance, Government Affairs Consultant Dan Bernazzani was asked, “What can we do to help the IICRC with government affairs?”

Dan’s answer was simple: “Be our eyes and ears. Know what’s going on in your city, county and state and if you hear of policies or legislation that could impact you as a cleaning and restoration professional, contact the IICRC and let us know. The only way we can address the changes taking place in our industry is by doing it together.”

In addition to government affairs, a great deal was discussed about where the IICRC is in the ANSI accreditation process. The good news is that we are moving toward that goal and we’ll continue to put in place new processes and revise others to help us meet our goal. We’re hearing from registrants that they want more opportunities to learn, and we’re working to balance the need for easy, on-the-go training with the hands-on skills required in the cleaning and restoration industry.

The BOD also approved a strategic plan for the organization moving forward. This is meant to serve as an overarching guide that will help lead us to where we want to be. The IICRC has grown tremendously during the past 38 years and will continue to do so. The plan outlines goals for various functions of the IICRC that we will continually return to as new efforts are launched, to make sure we are on the right path.

While three days of meetings can be a long time, I always leave feeling re-energized for the organization with new ideas and looking forward to a new year.