VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY
Looking back with Deborah Hamlin
What I will look back on most fondly were the people that I worked with along the way. This association and industry are full of smart folks who are committed to our mission of promoting irrigation.
The Irrigation Association has 15 years. What have been the most impactful initiatives or programs the IA has taken on during that time?
One of the most impactful changes we made to the association was when I first started. In 2007, we simplified the association’s mission to: to promote efficient irrigation. Those words drive everything we do, and it’s so simple that all of our members know it. Another win has been upping our game with certification and education. We offer more today than ever before, including online education. (Yes, we were doing it before COVID!) We continue to evolve into a more professional organization and our materials show it. Taking on two magazines — one for ag and one for landscape — was quite an undertaking, but it helps us educate our followers and allows us to share the news of the great things our member companies are doing.
We have also tried many things that didn’t go as well as expected, and we logged those as experiments and moved on. The IA Board of Directors has been incredibly forward-thinking and open-minded to try new things to help serve this industry. As the top staff person, I truly appreciate their innovative ideas and mentorship on these initiatives.
Deborah Hamlin, CAE, FASAE
Deborah Hamlin, CAE, FASAE, retired as the CEO of the Irrigation Association at the end of 2021. As she ended her tenure after over 15 years at the IA, Hamlin reflected on her years with the association and what she sees coming ahead in the future.
How have you seen the irrigation industry change since you came on board with the IA in 2006?
The most significant changes are certainly around technology — such as operating everything from massive farm systems to home sprinklers from our phones. I continue to be amazed by the new technology that is churned out by this industry each year. New ways of sensing and measuring, all to water more efficiently. From the tiniest emitters to large center pivots, products and systems are improving. They are not only using water more efficiently but they are saving energy as well. We have also developed nontraditional relationships outside of our community with NGOs, the Environmental Protection Agency and water providers to help accomplish our goals.
What were the biggest challenges the IA faced while you served as CEO?
For the most part, the IA faces challenges when our member companies face challenges. In 2008 through 2011 the landscape segment suffered through the economic recession, but ag remained strong. Later, commodity prices dropped, and the ag irrigation segment suffered. I was always thankful for that balance; usually when one segment was struggling, the other was doing well. When our members experience hard times, we see dips in
28 Irrigation TODAY | Winter 2022
irrigationtoday.org
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