Chapters Beyond 2020: Growing the Compost Industry

Every tree needs strong branches if it’s going to grow stronger.

The USCC just launched its plan to facilitate the successful growth of state chapters from twelve now to 20 by 2024.

Spurred by the explosive growth of chapters – doubling from three in 2013 to six by 2015 and then again to twelve in 2020, the USCC Board of Directors set chapter development and growth as a top priority in its Three-Year Strategic Plan adopted in fall 2019.

The Board began putting resources into the program, first by hiring consultant Wendy Scott to assist staff in developing the three-year sustainability plan, Chapters Beyond 2020, and then by dedicating half of a staff members’ time to chapter growth.

The plan began its rollout in September, with appointment of the Chapter Advisory Committee (CAC), a decision making and board advisory group drawn from chapters representing both the interests of chapters and the national organization. Its first meeting is this month, and members are:

Heather Creevan-NECC (Nebraska Composting Council)-Heartland/Great Lakes region

Jairo Gonzalez-NJCC (New Jersey Composting Council)-Emerging Chapter

Kate Sullivan-NCCC (North Carolina Composting Council)-Senior Chapter

Ken Bannister-VCC (Virginia Composting Council)-Southeast region

Bob Schanz-Board of Directors representative

Linda Norris-Waldt-staff representative

CAC representatives are appointed for a two-year term, renewable at year one, so other chapters will be rotating in as representatives in the future.

Some of the plans ahead for chapters include a focus on financial viability,; training through online courses on chapter leadership, an online chapter-leaders only networking portal to share best practices, and a chapter training session(s) at the upcoming COMPOST2021.

Additionally, the USCC is discontinuing its “committee” designation (a process in which newly forming chapters were required after four years to become a 501 C organization or find a 501C backer), and the Illinois and MD-DC committees are now called chapters. Criteria will be developed by the CAC for newly applying chapters. There will be a limit of three new chapters per year so the USCC can focus on successfully growing existing chapters and assisting new chapters. USCC will encourage “not-yet-ready” state groups to become Special Interest groups or regional groups until they are ready to become a full chapter.

Current chapters are (some as noted above): ACP (California), MOC (Michigan), NCCC, MNCC (Minnesota), NJCC, COCC (Colorado), VCC, MD-DC, ILCC, OHOC (Ohio), TCC (Tennessee) and NECC.

For more information, contact Linda Norris-Waldt.