Keven Stratton Jr., general counsel with Stratton Landscape Group, based in Pleasant Grove, Utah, has been involved in advocacy ever since he graduated from college. In his early roles, he organized grassroots outreach efforts and helped educate people on what a more principled approach to immigration policy could look like for the state.
Now, he is an active member of NALP’s Government Relations Council and regularly participates in industry fly-ins, advocating for the H-2B program and other issues that threaten the landscape industry. His passion for good policy and speaking up for landscape professionals earned him the 2026 Advocate of the Year Award.
“I have had the opportunity over the last few years to work with an amazing team with NALP, and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some really bright people who want to make a difference, and I think that this award could go to any of them,” Stratton says. “But I’m just grateful for this opportunity to advocate for an industry that I love, to advocate for good policy. It’s just the right thing to do, and to receive this award is humbling.”
Stratton also encouraged his father to run for state representative, which he served as for 10 years before becoming a Utah Senate senator.
“Watching as that process unfolded, and playing a part in that, it really helped me to see that there are an amazingly large number of small decisions that happen that lead to really big outcomes in this advocacy sphere,” Stratton says.
Stratton says many people often believe the legislative process is untouchable and impossible to influence. The reality is it can be influenced by small and simple actions.
“There really are humans who are involved in that process, and the more that you can connect with those humans on a human-to-human level, you realize we have more in common than we have in difference, and when we share those perspectives, that’s when we can get the outcomes that can help move things forward,” Stratton says.
He notes that while he may not always be able to make it to D.C. for face-to-face interactions with members of Congress, he can still meet with their local staffers, who have a lot of influence as well.
Stratton says their company’s usage of the H-2B program was a major catalyst for his involvement in advocacy, especially after they didn’t get their worker visas one year.
“It is thanks a lot to the work of NALP, Andrew and the team that we are even able to make any kind of progress and make that program even workable,” Stratton says. “The fact that we’ve been able to raise the cap as many times as we can, that’s been amazing, and it really is a direct result of the advocacy work of this organization, so it’s been really cool to be a part of that.”
He recommends others who are looking to get involved in advocacy to start with their pain point, as it is something they care about, and no one can tell their story quite like them. Stratton points out that the American political process only works when citizens raise their voice.
“That’s at the heart of advocacy: just sharing your story and sharing how policies impact you,” Stratton says. “The more I get involved, the more I realize that that’s where policy change starts.
Stratton says because representatives can’t know everything, it is landscape professionals’ job to meet with them face-to-face and explain how policies are directly impacting them.
“I think the biggest misconceptions are it’s too unwieldy, and I can’t change anything, or I can’t make a difference, or third, someone else is going to pick up the stick and carry that baton for me, and so I’ll just let them do it,” Stratton says. “But the truth is that without everyone working together, without creating a coalition, you can’t make change that can be beneficial to the industry.”
Stratton says that NALP made it particularly easy for him to get involved and start reaching out to representatives. He says he signed up for the email alerts and would participate when alerts were sent out to make the industry’s voice heard.
“It’s a simple act that can have a big difference,” Stratton says. “You don’t have to take huge steps. Just start where you are and do what you can, and just do the next right thing. That’s really how change happens: just taking the closest step that you can.”
Stratton says another topic that will become a major issue if landscape professionals don’t become more active in advocacy is water usage.
“When one of the most visible uses of water is in landscaping, our industry has a target on its back already, and we can either fight that stigma, or we can pretend like everything’s going to be just fine, and change will come,” Stratton says. “But if we position ourselves right, we e can be a part of the conversation and solution going forward.”
Stratton will receive his award during ELEVATE in Tampa, Florida, on Nov. 8-11.
This article will be published in the December/January/February issue of the magazine. To read more stories from The Edge magazine, click here to subscribe to the digital edition.
