I just got back from Tampa and the 2018 NWFA Convention. My congratulations to the NWFA for pulling off another successful production!
I was very fortunate to connect with Jason Wise, one of the two official photographers running around, who very kindly and patiently agreed to play paparazzi for me. (Frankly, I think the charges of kidnapping might be slightly inflated, although admittedly someone could maybe see it that way.) Over the next few months, to give you a break from discussions of TSCA and other regulations, I’ll post some of those pictures. This week, to start us off, I want to post some of those I got with staff, who worked so hard and are hopefully still napping at the time of this posting… They all deserve a huge shout out for their incredibly hard work!
First, Anita Howard and Michael Martin and I have had a tradition for the last four or five shows of getting a picture with me in my “hugged it” shirt. Michael was very successful in avoiding me almost the entire convention (probably fearing I’d start up a discussion of formaldehyde with him!), although I did hunt him down at the very end for one shot. So Anita gets first position because not only is she great, she made sure we got in our traditional shot.
Brett Miller and I both agree that the Educational material deserves a thumb’s up.
(I was somewhat disappointed at the turn out for the All Star Formaldehyde Panel—but I think that those who did attend gained a lot from it. The rest of you will just have to keep reading and hope we cover your issue!)
John Forbes is grinning like that because he is finally outside in the sun. He ran from one meeting to another the entire week. I think he was pleasantly surprised to discover he was in Florida, surrounded by palm trees.
And speaking of palm trees, here are Sharon and I hugging one—and no, not because I was about to cut it down. Perhaps it was for support—that was at the very end of the show and we were both exhausted! She and the rest of the member’s service team were non-stop smiles at the association’s booth and deserved that final party!
I tried to grab shots with some of the others, but they were often busy doing REAL work when I came by so we’ll have to grab them next year! Pictured here or not, my thanks to you all and congratulations!
And hey, look who I finally found!
Elizabeth Baldwin is Environmental Compliance Officer for Metropolitan Hardwood Floors. In her 25 plus year career in the wood industry has visited over 70 countries and hundreds of facilities of all sizes and types. She describes herself as a “jack of all wood trades.” Familiar with jungles of all sorts–having camped out along the Amazon and walked the halls of Congress–she blogs for the NWFA on both environmental and regulatory issues for educational and informational purposes only. Her blog is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. Persons seeking legal advice on compliance with CARB, TSCA, the U.S. Lacey Act or any other law, regulation, or compliance requirement/claim should consult with the regulatory agency directly and/or a qualified legal professional.