President’s Message

VTC is Vision and Mission Driven

Everything we do at the VTC and VTC Environmental Institute is filtered through our Vision and Mission statements.

Vision

“To become the industry leader in political advocacy, certification, education, and environmental stewardship in the lawn and landscape industry’’

Mission

“To ensure that our members and businesses in the lawn and landscape industry succeed through representation, education, and community outreach’’

To be honest, most of us just want to go to work, go home to our family and enjoy the rewards of our labor. Many never give a thought to laws and regulations that affect our ability to perform the daily duties that make this all possible.

The politics of the Lawn and Landscape industry are an area the VTC pays close attention to. Our industry has many friends in Richmond on both sides of the aisle. We stay engaged and on the lookout for legislation that impacts how our members conduct the business of maintaining Virginia’s lawns and landscapes.

The importance of this vigilance enables the VTC to act quickly when proposed legislation and regulations may ban certain equipment or impose pesticide restrictions. Many times, we see proposed bans with special carve-outs for sod, golf, sports turf, and other specialized segments of the industry.

Several years ago, we initiated the annual Grass Seed Giveaway at the state capitol. Several board members travel to Richmond and distribute bags of grass seed and good will. We also distributed packets of native pollinator seeds. These simple acts serve to let Virginia leaders know who we are (our industry is the second largest agricultural segment in VA) and bring attention to the services we provide daily to protect and enhance the environment through sound industry standards and practices.

In 2024 we realized how important these interactions were to our industry and employed the services of an industry lobbyist, Beck Stanley. Having someone looking out for the lawn and landscape industry was seen as a positive way to work with legislators and keep members informed, engaged, and accomplish the stated goals of the Vision and Mission statements.

Our actions have strengthened relationships and improved perceptions of the industry. To quote Beck, “We have never had to move aggressively to achieve our goals. We have been successful while making strong relationships and building a reputation as an accessible organization representative of all our members.”

The VTC and VTC Environmental Institute will continue to represent our members’ interests and promote all segments of the lawn and landscape industry. You can be part of this ongoing success — contact our Legislative committee and help continue this important work.

Wes Bray

VTC President