Thank you to everyone who took part in our survey in February — 50 members and stakeholders shared invaluable feedback on VAEEC’s benefits, structure and priorities. The Governance Board and the Membership Committee have reviewed the results and are factoring in all of the feedback into a review of the organization’s focus, services and membership structure.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our 2016 survey:

• The majority of stakeholders (58%) hear about the VAEEC through email/e-newsletters. Most members (48%) heard about VAEEC through colleagues, another 25% through email/e-newsletters. If you want to be added to our email list, email us at info@vaeec.org.
• A high number of members and stakeholders said energy efficiency is “very important” to their work, with an additional 35% of members and 22% of stakeholders saying it was “important.”
• When asked how they currently engage, 87% of members and 47% of stakeholders say they try to attend both spring and fall meetings (we’ve got another one coming up so be sure to register!), and 87% of members and 82% of stakeholders say they read the e-newsletters. An additional 45% of members encourage colleagues to join, and 35% of members say they participate in working groups as invited.
• The benefits (“Networking at meetings,” “Staying up to date on the latest trends, innovations and policies to inform my job/help grow my business,” “Learning more about the industry,” “Being recognized as a supporter of the VAEEC’s mission,” and “Being part of a body that is driving ee policy/Influence the industry through policy or regulation”) were almost all rated “valuable” in both groups with the latter ranking slightly higher than the others.
• When asked to rate the likelihood they would take advantage of specific offerings in the future, the most popular were members-only events like policy briefings and trainings and monthly webinars. The next most popular was regional happy hours. We’ve already teamed up with Green Drinks to offer that option in Arlington on April 21 and in Richmond in May and are tentatively planning to kick off a webinar series in June.

Great perspectives! We welcome your honest feedback at any time. You can email us at info@vaeec.org.