CPDA Interim President Gary Halvorson recently sent the following message to CPDA Members:  “Make plans to be in the “Windy City” on July 16-18 for CPDA’s 2018 Summer Conference & Annual Meeting at the Omni Chicago Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. This year’s gathering promises to be a truly special event and is being structured to showcase the newly defined focus of the CPDA organization.

The start of 2018 signified a new chapter in the association’s long history – a new way of conducting operations and a new philosophy to enhance the value of CPDA membership. The CPDA Board of Directors envisions a new strategic direction for the association – one which recognizes that issue priorities vary depending on a company’s primary business focus: producer, formulator/distributor, or adjuvant/inert ingredient supplier. Each of these segments within the agrotechnology industry faces a unique set of challenges in retaining a competitive edge.

With this in mind, the CPDA Board has designed a plan to create a committee structure focused on these segments, and the legislative and regulatory issues relative to each. A representative Board director whose company’s primary line of business falls within each segment will be featured on the conference program. Each will showcase how reorganization of CPDA’s current structure would facilitate opportunities for legislative and regulatory advocacy of current and future member companies. CPDA is working towards increased transparency and defining the association’s value to current, past and future members in order to justify the expense in this current market.

CPDA’s goal is guided by a vision of ensuring that the association serves as the pre-eminent voice on federal and state legislative and regulatory affairs in representing the interests of producers, formulators/distributors, and adjuvant/inert ingredient suppliers. CPDA is confident that a restructuring will benefit current members, and also attract former and potential new members looking for an organization that is willing and able to devote time, effort and resources into championing their interests before policy-makers on Capitol Hill and with regulatory agencies.

Further details on CPDA’s new strategic direction and the summer conference, including the agenda, sponsorship opportunities, and fun events being planned will be announced soon.  Thank you!”