2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT Chris Connors , MCLP Grove Street Services Boston , MA
VICE PRESIDENT Miriam Hellweg , MCLP , MCA A Blade of Grass , Sudbury , MA
SECRETARY / TREASURER Andy McDuff , MCLP Landscape America , Inc ., Wrentham , MA
PAST PRESIDENT Karen Kerr , MCLP Upton , MA
DIRECTORS Johnny Kwasek , MCLP
John Anthony ’ s Landscaping Roslindale , MA Katie Merrifield , MCLP Merrifield Garden and Design Wayland , MA
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Mike Landry , MCLP Riverside Services , Inc . Hopkinton , MA Matt McCoy , MCLP Harrison McPhee , Inc . Millis , MA
M . Virginia Wood Peggy Benjamin Carrie Martin Charissa Sharkey
MALP NEWSLINE is a publication of the Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals , Inc .
MALP NEWSLINE is published four times a year for the Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals ( MALP ) and is distributed free of charge to members . The purpose of the newsletter is to disseminate information to promote general standards and ethics in landscape contracting , as well as to foster research and share knowledge with its members . MALP is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to communications between its membership and the industry . MALP believes the information in this publication to be accurate as of its publication date and is not responsible for inadvertent errors . The MALP and Massachusetts Certified Landscape Professional ( MCLP ) logos are trademarks of the Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals , Inc . Qualified MALP members and certified members only are permitted to utilize the logo . Logos for MALP and MCLP are available through the MALP office .
EDITORIAL Readers are encouraged to submit articles , announcements , review of products , or letters . Address correspondence to the attention of the MALP Newsletter Editor at the address below .
ADVERTISING For advertising rates and information , contact Carrie Martin at cmartin @ MLP-MCLP . org or at the MALP phone number below . Ads may be submitted as high-resolution pdf files . Discounted advertising rates are available to MALP members .
PRESIDENT ' S MESSAGE
A Year of Growth and Success for MALP
I ’ d like to kick off 2025 by welcoming our newest board members : Mike Landry , MCLP ; Matt McCoy , MCLP and Katie Merrifield , MCLP . As active volunteers on our MCLP committee , I am confident these three will be strong contributors to MALP ’ s leadership .
2024 was a remarkable year for our association ! We proudly welcomed 17 new commercial members and 129 affiliate members . The MCLP program is thriving , with four successful study prep webinars and 12 new MCLPs added to our ranks . Membership meetings saw strong attendance , and we ’ ve built momentum through exciting initiatives like our popular summer business seminar , collaboration with the Cape Cod Landscape Association , and an outstanding Fall Field Day with the MAA .
Advocacy remains a top priority . We ’ re pushing for legislation to support snow and ice managers across the state — a challenging road , but one we ’ re committed to navigating . Please be sure to complete the recent survey we distributed , aimed at gathering data on snow management companies including stats on employment numbers , and economic impact . Your input will strengthen our case as we work toward meaningful change . If you didn ’ t get a chance to fill out the survey , here ’ s the link : https :// www . surveymonkey . com / r / VQR8YR2
I have always looked at winter as a great time to recharge and reflect on the previous year . What worked , what needs improvement and what goals were missed or altered along the way . It is a great time to throw things at a wall and see what sticks ! Personally , this year I have hit the reset button in my career and have a great opportunity to put lessons learned along the way to the test . How best to map forward and hopefully avoid some of the costliest mistakes . What are your lessons learned , how are you looking at your business and finding ways to improve ? Are you investing in your people , technology , and keeping an open mind on how things used to be or may no longer apply ?
Our “ landscape ” is constantly changing and taking the valuable time to reflect and improve is crucial . We are a group of industry professionals and always willing to lend a hand , lean on your peers , even your competition for some clearer paths forward . The MALP board is always open to suggestions on how we can improve and continue to provide value . Reach out today and find out how we might help one another . Together , we ’ ll continue to grow and thrive in 2025 !
DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the MALP .
Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals 67 West Street • Medfield , MA 02052 phone : 508.653.3373 info @ mlp-mclp . org • MLP-MCLP . org
Chris Connors , MCLP President
MALP Newsline | Winter 2025 3