Portable Sanitation Association International

ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION JANUARY 20, 2021 Page 7 Continued on page 8 1971–2021: The PSAI Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary By Jeff Wigley, Past PSAI President J anuary 28–29, 1971…Washington, DC–The "Industry Exploratory Conference" ended. The next day, the "Organizing Committee" met and recorded their Meeting Minutes from this historic event for posterity. The recommended name of the organization was to be "PORTABLE SANITATION ASSOCIATION" (PSA) and that was approved at this meeting on January 29th. And the rest, as they say, is history. Introduction As we begin celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of our beloved PSAI, we have much of which to be proud. From the PSAI's early founders, to the innovators, to the leaders, to the "unique personalities," and to the companies and the many thousands of members worldwide, 2021 will be a year of pride and remembrance. I have eagerly, enthusiastically, and humbly volunteered—with contributions of memories, stories, pictures—to lead this effort. As members went "above and beyond" in helping me to write "PSAI Through the Decades" for our 40th anniversary, I hope that the marking our 50th anniversary will engender even more participation in terms of sharing, recording, and preserving the history of the PSAI. Details of the January 29, 1971 Meeting The first gathering of people who created the PSAI occurred almost exactly 50 years ago. Fortunately, the minutes of this historic event have been preserved and even then, at this initial meeting of industry members, the desire to improve the image, the reach, and the effectiveness of our industry was paramount. And so the PSAI was born. The first of many fascinating facts and notes of interest deals with the location of this first meeting. FACT: The Marriott Twin Bridges Hotel in Washington DC (pictured at left) was the very first—the "original"— Marriott Hotel! J Willard Marriott opened this hotel in 1957 "on a prime site across the 14th Street Bridge from DC and near the Pentagon and the National Airport." This iconic hotel closed in 1988. An interesting coincidence is that this was the site of that very first meeting of what has become the PSAI of today. Executive Consultants, Inc. was hired to "guide and assist the Organizing Committee" in the legal establishment of the Portable Sanitation Association (PSA). In addition, Executive Consultants, Inc. was tasked to "provide staff and headquarters for the Association at 2011 Eye Street in Washington, DC." FACT: The PSA became the Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) in 1991 at the 20th Anniversary Celebration when "worldwide industry pioneer" Lothar Vermillion—along with his company, Dixi, from Ratingen, Germany—was honored for his participation in the PSA and his recruitment of members in Europe. As I have previously written, Lothar put the "I" in PSAI. Sadly, we lost Lothar in August 2019.

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