Megan Provost, president of RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment), announced today that the annual meeting would take place as an online event.

“The RISE Annual Meeting is our largest event of the year — and this year is extra special as we celebrate 30 years of RISE,” she said in an email to members. “After discussions with our members, our committees, and our Governing Board regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to hold our first-ever Virtual RISE Annual Meeting. Though I will undoubtedly miss connecting with all of you in person, we hope to make this virtual event just as engaging and to have the opportunity to welcome even more of you through this format.”

At press time, the preliminary schedule includes:

• Aug. 25: The opening general session will feature Provost delivering her first address as RISE president; a political analysis on the 2020 presidential election; and the latest information on the organization’s 2021-2026 strategic plan.
• Aug. 25-26: RISE committees will hold individual meetings, and are invited to discuss the details of the strategic plan and its implementation.
• August-September: “Even though we won’t be meeting in person, we’ll have lots of opportunities to engage virtually, ranging from a virtual happy hour and a virtual golf tournament to virtual volunteering supporting Hands On Atlanta,” Provost said.
• September: An educational webinar series is planned to discuss the work of RISE and some of its advocacy topics in depth.

Registration details are expected to come soon. In the meantime, all the latest updates can be found online at PestFacts.org/events.