GIE 2005: A Conversation with PLANET’s John Gibson

After a busy year as the first president of the newly formed Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), Dan Foley’s term is ending and President-Elect John Gibson is next in line to continue to drive the association forward in 2006.

At a press conference conducted at the Green Industry Expo in Orlando, Fla., Gibson, Swingle Lawn, Tree & Landscape Care, Denver, Colo., highlighted some of his immediate goals and the results of some 2006 strategic planning discussions that have been happening since September.

First and foremost, Gibson says he wants the association to have a continued focus on obtaining member feedback. With approximately 4,300 members since the merger of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America and the Professional Lawn Care Association of America in January, this is crucial, Gibson says. “We want to make sure that everyone feels that they are a part of the association without losing the bigger picture,” he shares.

Next, Gibson says that as a direct result of member feedback the association is going to split up the Summer Leadership meeting and the Legislative Days. “We combined the events this year to see how that would work,” he says. “Afterward, our members told us they thought it would be better if we kept the events separate so that we can have greater focus on each event and the issues being addressed. We are listening to the members and the Legislative Days will be in July and the Summer Leadership event will be in August.”

Thirdly, Gibson wants to ensure that PLANET delivers the value of networking to its members, something the association has been known for with some of its events, such as the Breakfast of Champions each morning at the Green Industry Expo.

There is also a desire in the industry to redefine the career ladder of employees who contractors are trying to recruit, Gibson says, highlighting his fourth point. He hopes to address this at events like the PLANET Student Career Days in March, which will be held at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. “We have secured Stephen Covey as our main speaker, which should attract a lot of students and draw attention to our industry as successful career option,” he says.

And, the final goal Gibson discussed is enhancing PLANET’s relationships with regional and allied regional associations.

This year, PLANET has enjoyed a more than 11 percent increase in its membership, according to Foley. More landscape and lawn care professionals are also volunteering to help lead the association’s various committees. For this, Gibson says the association truly excels. He says, “We aren’t a great association without the time our volunteers are giving us.”

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