Portable Sanitation Association International

15 I PSAI Association Insight, December 1, 2021 Flay Anthony and Barry Gump Past Presidents Reflect Upon the PSAI's Past: Ned Carpenter and Flay Anthony (continued from page 14) our Charlotte, North Carolina area some 5 hours later. My PSA friends were there to provide support and encouragement. This incident made an impression on me as to the care and concern for each other that we share in our Association." "Education" became the central focus of Flay's involvement with the PSAI. Beginning in late 1991, Flay formed a PSAI Certification Committee with Lothar Vermillion (Dixi in Germany), Tom Stange (C&L Sanitation in Perrysburg, Ohio), Henry McCall (Satellite Industries), and Gene Howse (Chem Can in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas). The goal of this committee was to create an educational training program for route service technicians that would incorporate "best practices" and establish "industry standards" for the delivery, service, and pickup of portable restrooms. The PSAI Certification Program was officially established—and on November 4, 1992, at the convention in Phoenix, Arizona, the first training class and certification exams were conducted. Over the years, as more and more training sessions were conducted and as the scope of policies and procedures expanded, PSAI Certification became the "gold standard" for training in our industry. Flay Anthony was the leader in the continued development and expansion of this program. The most important aspect of the Certification Program is to conduct these training classes. Keep in mind that from 1992 until the late 2010s, in-person training was the only option available. Never one to dwell on the impact that he had on conducting these training sessions—literally across the US—I pressed Flay to give his best estimate as to the number of training classes he conducted over these many years. Any guess? "Probably right around 100 classes, I would say," Flay quietly said. With 100 classes and class sizes ranging from 10-20 people on average, thousands of us have been trained by Flay Anthony. I remember that he had his "largest class ever" here in Atlanta in the late 2000s with some 65 students! I have taught the class 30-35 times through the years, and I can attest that it takes dedication as well as patience in enduring travel delays and changes in plans just to make it to the designated location for the classes. Flay has had quite an impact on thousands of students throughout the years! As if he was not busy enough in helping to run a successful company in Gastonia, North Carolina, while conducting Certification Classes, Flay served again on the PSAI Board and was President in 2004-2005. His fondest memories were the trip that he and several other PSAI members took to China for the 2004 World Toilet Summit and presenting his partner and friend Ned Carpenter with the Andy Gump Award that same year. Ned and Flay sold Porta-Jon in 2007 and Flay remained on staff until retiring in 2010. Of course, fortunately for the PSAI, he did not retire from our Association. From 2008 until 2017, Flay was the Director of Event Operations and successfully planned our Nuts & Bolts Educational Conferences as well as our conventions and trade shows. In 2009, Flay Anthony was the recipient of the Andy Gump Award, presented by Barry Gump. This could be the end of a remarkable story about a remarkable PSAI Member, but it is not yet complete. Flay Anthony is a remarkable friend and mentor to me. Flay nominated me for the PSAI board in 2006 after we had served together with the SEPSA in the late '90s and early 2000s. I was humbled. As Flay became more involved with PSAI events, I took over as Certification Chairperson with his constant help and support. When I became President in 2011, both Flay and Ned were very supportive—but none of us knew what lay ahead in March 2012. (continued on page 16)

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