Welcome Kim Meador as Your Newest RDIA Board Member

We would like to welcome Kim Meador to the RDIA board of directors as of December 16, 2011. Kim was appointed to the board to fill Judy Aagard’s vacant position (see below).

Kim Meador of Eco Baby Diaper Service

Kim Meador is the owner of Eco-Baby Diaper Service, LLC. She and her husband Michael are parents of boy/girl twins, now 9 years old. Their twins were getting diaper rashes, and as soon as one cleared up they would have it again. They were sent cloth diapers from a family member who was a nurse in another state and found them to immediately help the diaper rash; from then on they were sold by the use of cloth diapers!

In March of 2011, Eco Baby Diaper Service, LLC. launched serving Southwest Florida.  Kim has just started cloth diapering classes and is now including some retail diapers and accessories for families in the South Florida market for diapers and accessories.

Kim’s energy and business savvy has already been recognized on the board. We are all happy to have her join us!

Farewell to Judy Aagard of Tiny Tots

Judy Aagard resigned as an RDIA board member after two amazing years of service. She pioneered several projects and dedicated much of her time and energy to RDIA, for which we are all grateful. Some of her biggest advancements for our industry include masterminding the hugely successful Great Cloth Diaper Change, the updating of “How To Start a Diaper Service Kit”, and introducing the idea of a Product Showcase at our annual meeting.

Judy left for several reasons. During her exit interview she stressed her role as a board member was rewarding 98% of the time. Some things that frustrated her were the lack of commitment of volunteers, lack of communication, not understanding the direction of the association, competition getting in the way of cooperative movement forward, and a few others. Feel free to contact the RDIA Chair, Mandi Meidlinger, if you have any questions. We always strive to be transparent and are more than happy to discuss any details, of course.

When a board member resigns, RDIA’s by-laws state that the board has the option of leaving the seat empty until the term expires or to appoint a new board member. RDIA board members reached out to several diaper service operators and ultimately appointed Kim Meador to fill the vacant position until August 31, 2012.

Future Board Seats

The board is excited about is the proposed by-law change that was presented at the annual meeting. If this by-law change passes, it will open up seats for more board members and include “at-large” members. The real benefit of having at-large members, meaning that they can come from any category, is that we are able to make room for enthusiastic individuals and strong business leaders.

We had hoped we would have enough ballots returned by now to make this by-law change, but we need five more! When this by-law change goes through, there will be four vacant seats: one for a diaper service member and three from any category. So, if you are interested in serving on the board, please let any board member know.

Mandi Meidlinger
Jillian’s Drawers
Chair, Real Diaper Industry Association

As we prepare the meeting packet for the annual RDIA cloth diaper business conference, we’ve been looking at membership numbers and thought you might find them interesting. Of 175 members on September 1st, we had 158 in the U.S., 16 in Canada, and 1 in Chile. The RDIA membership in the U.S. and Canada tracks closely to the relative populations of the two countries. We’re well balanced in members from each side of the border. Our one member in Chile is Pañales Verdes Chile diaper service. ¡Así se hace!

In states and provinces, this is how the cloth diaper trade association spreads out:

• 18 in California
• 10 in New York
• 9 in each Ontario & Colorado
• 7 in each Pennsylvania & Minnesota
• 6 in each Utah & Illinois
• 5 in each Washington, Texas, Michigan, Maryland, Maine, Florida, & Arizona
• 4 in each Wisconsin, Virginia, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Georgia, Connecticut, & British Columbia
• 3 in each Quebec, Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri, & Kansas
• 2 in each Vermont, South Carolina, Oregon, Louisiana, & Iowa
• 1 in each Wyoming, Tennessee, Oklahoma, New Mexico, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Indiana, Idaho, Hawaii, Delaware, & Alaska

As members of the RDIA we share a common goal—to spread the word and usage of cloth diapers.

Whether you are a retailer, small or large manufacturer, diaper service or a diaper information service, your membership helps to accomplish our unified goal and at the very same time your business is increased as our collective positive influence is felt stronger and wider each passing month!!

Keeping in mind that this is an industry association and therefore increasing our collective sales and market share is of primary interest, we have a plan to bring our position in the “Diapering World” to new levels.

The formula for our organization is working. The membership roles are now 165 strong and growing! We have an opportunity to increase our membership several times over.

THE PLAN IN A NUTSHELL

OBJECTIVE
Double our membership in one year’s time.

WHY
Would increase our ability to advertise, lobby, have trade show presence, educate, and many more worthy and productive activities.

RESULT
Thousands more parents would choose cloth over disposables resulting in increased sales, healthier kids, and a much cleaner environment!!

As the Board of Directors, we are putting a new emphasis on the recruiting committee whose duty will be to follow up on leads for perspective new RDIA members.

As members of this new team we will follow through on an individual basis with the ( soon to be ) new members, making sure that they are comfortable and up to speed on all things RDIA. From service opportunities to initial paperwork to benefits / perks of membership and just giving them a friend to be able to call with a question or idea.

We plan to put together a simple spreadsheet that will help us to ensure that each prospective member is treated with the prompt and personal attention. The committee will consist of members from all membership catagories which will help us to better relate to each new member on his/her own terms.

Ok, there are two things that are now needed to get this ball rolling.

1. Members to fill committee positions.
2. Referrals for RDIA prospects

If you have a small amount of time to give to the cause and you have basic computer skills and you do not mind answering questions via phone or email, come join with me!

As for referrals, this is up to all of us as members. We all know someone else in the industry that is not part of the association and probably should be. We will be creating a referral form that can be submitted electronically. These referrals will then be personally and carefully followed up on all the way through the membership process!

If we all bring just one new member to the RDIA this coming year, our membership will double! Creation and support of this new committee can help to make that happen!!

Please volunteer for the committee today by contacting Rachel at info@realdiaperindustry.org

And for all of us—start thinking of the business associates that should be part of the RDIA

Thanks very much for your support of this most worthy and mutually beneficial call to action.

Dave

David H. Milligan
Bambino Mio (Manufacturer)
Member, RDIA Board of Directors