The Edge January/February 2026

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Boots on the Ground: Why You Should Join the Advocacy Ambassador Program

By Jill Odom

THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, AND IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE THE industry’s advocates, NALP has launched the Advocacy Ambassador Program. The Advocacy Ambassador Program’s goals are to inform, engage and activate NALP members to be the sword and shield on behalf of the landscape industry.

Bray says the level of commitment required will vary by person and what is going on in their state. “I think it’s critically important to remember that the heavy legwork is always going to be done by NALP,” Bray says. “We are going to be tracking the legislation. We are going to be writing testimonies. We are going to be writing talking points, but when we ask people to take action or we ask people to weigh in, we’re going to need them to do that, and that can be done by email and via Zoom.” Federal ambassadors will advocate for the industry at a national scale and engage with federal policymakers. It is ideal for individuals who want to make a difference on a broader level. These am bassadors are expected to participate in at least one annual fly-in to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers. Mann notes that ambassadors can have a lot of fun advocating for the industry. “It’s a little bit different than your day-to-day,” Mann says. “It involves repurposing a skillset that you have to something different and you have to invest in yourself. I think that there is a certain level of satisfaction that comes from being able to articulate what it is that you need in order to be successful in your business to your elected official Federal ambassadors will advocate for the industry at a national scale and engage with federal policymakers. It is ideal for individuals who want to make a difference on a broader level. These ambassadors are expected to participate in at least one annual fly-in to Washington D.C. to meet with lawmakers.

meeting with their elected officials. “This is just human nature you’re working with,” Mann says. “It’s just telling people what you do every single day. And there’s no better expert at what you do every single day than you are.”

“We want people to have a clear understanding of the good work that we do,” says Bob Mann, senior director of regulatory and technical affairs for NALP. “So many others have taken the opportunity to paint us in light that isn’t accurate whatsoever.” This program is a rebranding of the Advocacy Contact Team. “The contact team, by all accounts, was functioning great, but every once in a while, you need to rebrand things and breathe new life into it,” says Andrew Bray, NALP senior vice president of gov ernment relations and membership. “We hope that by rebranding and breathing some new life into it and putting in some more structure and resources, it’s going to actually expand it.” This team-based program will ensure that no one serves alone, with each state having multiple ambassadors and NALP’s support. Participants in the program will receive training materials on the basics of advocacy so they can feel comfortable

WHAT DO AMBASSADORS DO? Members can participate in the

Advocacy Ambassador Program at the state and federal levels. Ambassadors will be both proactive and reactive to various issues as they appear. State ambassadors will build relation ships with state policymakers, engage in local advocacy efforts, and stay informed on state-specific issues. Mann says NALP is happy to help ambassadors set up meetings to form relationships with committee members and put together a legislative day if there isn’t one in exis tence currently. “We’re working with the association in Wisconsin to make that happen,” Mann says.

ð Scan here to sign up to become an ambassador.

18 The Edge // January/February 2026