Have you ever wondered what your VAMA dues pay for?
Belonging to a trade association is like owning an umbrella. You may not always need an umbrella but by the time you do, it's usually too late to buy one.
VAMA membership includes amazing events, needed education and wonderful opportunities to network with your peers BUT...the most important and often unseen benefit of membership is the protection it gives you during the General Assembly session and throughout the year when local issues come up.
VAMA dues go 100% to lobbying efforts and staff. Why is this important? Every year, your VAMA lobbyist tracks all the potential bills that could become additions to the VRLTA. Tracking includes efforts to change bills that adversely effect our industry, organizing members to testify in front of the general assembly and updating the membership on any changes to state law. The VAMA Legislative Committee works closely with the lobbyist to fully understand the impact of any potential laws that come up and they make a plan to make sure the full implication of proposed legislation is understood by legislators.
So, just like an umbrella protects you from the rain, your dues protect you from harmful legislation! Even if you never use any other part of VAMA, your dues are always working for you.