The Edge September/October 2025

LETTER FROM THE CEO

Leaders Should Always Be Learning

IT’S BEEN SAID THAT ONCE YOU STOP LEARNING, YOU START dying. If, as a leader, you decide one day you’ve got it all figured out, this is when you cease to improve, and your business can suffer as a result. Thankfully, you have an abundance of learning opportunities via NALP.

to take home. We also provide you with plenty of unstructured networking time so you can craft new bonds and strengthen existing ones. FOND FAREWELL Speaking of leaders, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a sincere thank you to Chris Senske and John Guth, whose time on the NALP board has come to a close. Chris joined the board at the same time I joined NALP as CEO. He has been a great leader and supporter of the association during the past six years. He has been an active member of the board and has lent his wisdom to the industry for years. We look forward to Chris continuing to be a leader in the lawn care indus try and a great advocate for the industry as a whole, even after his time on the board ends in October. John was in the first cohort of leaders who joined the board the year after I arrived at NALP, so I have had the good fortune of getting to know John in that time. John has been very thoughtful in his time on the board and has been a solid contributor to the many topics the board has tackled in that time. Also, John is a shining example of a leader who is con tinuing to learn as he is currently pursuing an executive master’s degree at Harvard. So, take a leaf from his book and continue to invest in your own learning! Thanks again, Chris and John. Your service to this association and industry will be remembered fondly.

ELEVATE First up is our annual meeting ELEVATE on Nov. 2-5, which will be held in Phoenix, Arizona. If you’ve not been out to this part of the country before, it’s a tremendous opportunity. Our sessions focus on real issues in real time, but also look to the future. You can expect to see topics covering everything from new ways to retain your people to how to take advantage of the latest technology. This year, we brought back the call for proposals and received almost 200 submissions. The ELEVATE program committee was very deliberate about selecting the proposals that pushed the envelope. Not only will there be great education at ELEVATE, but you’ll also have meaningful conversa tions with your peers before and after sessions. The day before ELEVATE, we’ll be hosting the NALP Women’s Forum, a ticketed event that provides women in the indus try a time to enhance their leadership skills and find inspiration from other

top-rated event is designed for both seasoned veterans and rising leaders. This three-day experience features world-class business education and thought-provoking conversations with peers in your cohort. Darden’s top-ranked facul ty will lead you through interactive case studies and dig into essential business concepts and leadership strategies. You’ll want to secure your space for this one quickly, as we only have a limited number of spots left. My advice is, if you decide to attend this one, don’t skip reading the coursework before the event. Doing the prep work and being willing to share will greatly impact how much you’re able to learn. Open up and ask questions! LEADERS FORUM Last but certainly not least, of our upcoming educational events is Leaders Forum. Hosted in Santa Barbara, California, on Feb. 4-7, 2026, this powerful conference is designed specifically for executives looking to gain a competitive edge. With sessions that will delve into how the government and economy will impact your busi ness in the near future, you don’t want to miss the insights Leaders Forum has to offer. Gabe Adams, with UVA Darden School of Business, will also lead a couple of sessions related to how leaders can motivate their teams and ensure group productivity. Additionally, our crowd-favorite hot topic roundtable discussions will return allowing you to have intimate conversations with your peers and gain actionable steps

industry leaders. This is a gathering we intro duced last year and are pleased to build on it this year. NALP EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM Next up is our Executive Leadership Program

Britt Wood

in partnership with UVA Darden School of Business on Jan. 12-15, 2026. This

6 The Edge // September/October 2025