The Towing and Recovery Association of America, Inc.® (TRAA) has been a hot topic of conversation recently, so we sat down with Elizabeth Martineau-Dupuis, TRAA’s Director of Education, to learn more about the organization and how members can get involved.
Let’s talk about members: who’s your membership?
TRAA is a membership organization first and foremost. As with most towing associations, our membership includes towing companies, manufacturers, industry associates, and even individual towers. Legislative representation is a primary goal for us, and only by working together and forming a united front, can we get anything done politically.
How does someone get more involved in TRAA?
It’s actually very easy for a member to get more involved with TRAA. They can come to an event, whether it’s our Legislative Action Workshop in DC or one of the several events we host in conjunction with tow shows across the country. Member representatives can also volunteer for one of TRAA’s many committees. Most of our standing committees reset biennially with the election cycle. When that happens, we solicit our membership for qualified volunteers. If a member has an expertise in a certain area, they’re encouraged to apply for that committee. This year we had a bunch of new volunteers for committees, so that’s great.
Is the process the same for the TRAA Legislative Advocacy Network® (TRAA LAN®)?
Because of the slow nature of legislative change and the political process, the TRAA LAN® has a slightly different procedure. First, their terms are for six years instead of two. Second, each LAN representative’s application is reviewed and voted-in by a majority of the TRAA Executive Cabinet. It’s a check and balance: the TRAA LAN® makes legislative recommendations, but they can’t take any action on behalf of TRAA without the Executive Cabinet’s permission.
Why is volunteering so important?
There are so many reasons why volunteering is important! TRAA is “the voice of America’s towing industry.” In order for that to work, we need everyone to work cooperatively towards solutions. Especially politically where strength comes from numbers. Our other incident management disciplines know this and do a great job of getting their voices heard because of it. TRAA has a federal lobbyist now, which has been fantastic in opening doors, making connections, and furthering our goals, but we still need the input, expertise, and activism of members to get this critical work done. Help us help you-engage and get involved!
To learn more about the Towing and Recovery Association of America, Inc.® (TRAA), please visit traaonline.com.
