IECA Privacy Policy

Why is a privacy policy important?

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) collects information for a variety of reasons.  We may store the information, but it is your information and you have the right to know how we use it.  The goal of IECA is to connect people, and we want to make sure that we are doing that in a way that you approve.  We are always trying to improve our policy to better serve you.  As you read this document, if you have a suggestion on how we can improve it, please let us know. IECA has the right to modify this privacy policy at any time. IECA communicates all updates via email as relevant changes are made.

What types of data does IECA collect?

IECA collects personal relevant information to identify and contact you to fulfill its business purpose. The information collected includes but is not limited to processing membership requests, registering for an IECA-hosted event, attending an IECA online program, purchasing IECA products/services and for engaging with IECA. Personal data as identified below is collected from the IECA account the contact created, information shared at IECA-hosted events, information shared from third party activities such as webinars, etc.

The types of personally identifiable data we collect include:
• General data – name, company, address, telephone number, work phone, home phone, email address, fax number and company website.
• Professional data – designations obtained, industry and chapter affiliation.
• Other identifiable information – photographs.
• Financial information – credit/debit card information for product/membership sales and services.
• Sensitive personal data – date of birth and gender (individual must provide this information upon account creation. IECA does not actively collect sensitive personal data for our database.
• Third party data – IECA receives personal data from third parties to market potential membership and training opportunities, such as lists from IECA co-hosted webinars.

IECA collects information that does not identify you directly as you interact on our sites from cookies tracking in such sites as Google Analytics and Facebook.  The types of non-personal data collected:
• Site usage – browsing history, landing pages, page views, ISP, search terms, clicks and entrance/exit pages. 
• Products and services viewed including advertisements for said products/services.

How does IECA collect information about me?

IECA is the sole owner of the information collected on www.ieca.org. IECA collects personally identifiable information from you at several points on our web site. This means that the information you submit to us is our property, but it means that you still retain rights as to how the information is used.

In order to use certain parts of IECA’s web site, or in order to sign up to receive certain promotions, you must complete an information submittal form. You must fill out fields identified with a star (*) and/or marked in red. We may use this information to contact you about products, programs, or services we feel may be of interest to you. You have the option to provide information in addition to the required fields in most cases. By submitting information, you grant IECA the right to contact you by any means that you have provided. Of course, you have the option to opt‐out of any form of communication we send. So, if you would rather we don’t contact you via mail or e‐mail you can always opt‐out of that communication.

Please note, some information is collected automatically. For instance, your IP address, what browser and device your user and how you came to our website is collected automatically through web browser cookies. Cookies track what pages you see, what determine if you’ve visited the website before and helps us identify who is accessing our website. This information helps us improve the services we provide to users and improve our online presence.

Some cookies maybe embedded on content on IECA pages. Third party vendors apply cookies to their web banners to help track information that maybe collected in Google Analytics to track user behavior.

If you wish to not have your data tracked, you may consider the DNT feature offered by some browsers. When enabled it sends a signal to websites to request that your browsing is not tracked, such as by third party ad networks, social networks and analytic companies. This website does not currently respond to DNT requests

IECA conducts learning events online and in person, for example, during our annual conference. IECA will ensure the privacy of personal information & learning accomplishments of all learners. Records may be released only with the permission and notification of the learner. Under no circumstances will a learners’ phone number be shared with anyone outside IECA. A person’s name, company name, address, and email address may be shared with the class instructor. A person's physical mailing address and email address will be made publicly available on attendee lists and other future mailing lists unless the person opts out of having this information publicly shared.

If you purchase anything on our site, we will request certain personally identifiable information from you on the order form. You must provide this information and the requested financial information (credit card number, expiration date, etc.). We will use this information to complete your order and to send you future communications. If you do not complete the order, but still provide contact information, we may use that information to contact you about that order, or to contact you in the future if we believe you will benefit from a product/service. Of course, you can opt‐out of future communications.

From time to time, we may ask you to participate in surveys or contests. If you participate, we may request certain personally identifiable information from you. Participation is completely voluntary, and you therefore have the choice whether to disclose any information. The requested information will typically include contact information and demographic information. We will use this information for a variety of purposes, including making improvements to your membership and general IECA experience, as well as for future marketing. We may use a third-party service to conduct these surveys or contests; if so, that company is prohibited from using any of our users’ personally identifiable information.

In various sections of the web site, we offer the option for you to “tell a friend,” “refer a friend,” or “send to a colleague.” If you choose to do this, we will ask for your friend’s name and email address.

We use “Add This,” a third-party program to share with friends via email and social networks. We do not retain the information submitted about your friend or colleague.

How long will IECA keep information about me?

IECA holds personal information in our database for as long as it’s necessary for the relevant activity. If you have not used your IECA account in the past year, your account may be classified as dormant and may be deleted. We will email you a reminder before deletion. Google Analytics keeps visitor data for 26 months. IECA holds tax-related information for seven years. If you delete your account, then all personal information is deleted immediately and the remaining information is anonymized for analytical purposes.

How can I see what information you have on me or update my information?

Your information is accessible by logging into your user account at ieca.org. You can view your contact information, member status, join and renewal dates, chapter affiliation, contact information, social profiles, education/event participation, dues history, communication preferences, field of practice, areas of expertise, education focus, years in the industry, languages, lead source and education certificates. You may also control the types of emails you receive by selecting to opt-in or opt-out of certain types of communications listed under "Communication Preferences." Please note, not all information may be filled in as the information available is dependent upon what was shared when you created your account. You may update your information while in your record or contact IECA directly at 303-640-7554 or membership@ieca.org for assistance in obtaining information about you in the past 12 months prior to the request. Consumers have the right to request personally identifiable Information twice in a 12-month period. Please allow for 45 days to respond to the request to allow IECA to verify your identity to validate the information requested.

Is my personal information secure?

The security of your personal information is important to us. When you provide personal information, such as a credit card number, on our registration/enrollment forms, we encrypt that information using secure socket layers. We restrict access to personal data to companies who need the information to operate, develop or improve IECA’s services. These organizations are bound by confidentiality and subject to discipline and criminal prosecution if obligations are not met.

What if there is as data breach?

In the event of a data security breach, IECA will notify affected contacts by email, US mail, telephone and other means as permitted by law.

What is the purpose for IECA collecting my personal information?

Information about your interest, position, location, age, etc. helps us determine how you’re using IECA, but it also allows us to reach out to you with different IECA offerings we think you may be interested in learning more about.

IECA sends the following electronic communications:
• Special Offers and Updates – we will occasionally send you information on products, services, special offers, and other promotions.  To ensure your privacy, you can opt in or out of these communications and the medium in which you receive them. By default, you are not opted-into these types of communications. To be opted in, please change your communication in your online member account.
• Newsletters – We send out a monthly electronic newsletter, called IECA E‐Update.  We will use your email address to send this to you.  To ensure your privacy, you can opt‐out of this communication. By default, you are also not opted‐in.
• Service‐related Announcements – We will send you strictly service‐related announcements on rare occasions when it is necessary to do so.  This will only be done when it is essential business of IECA or if there will be a disruption in your service.  For example, you might get an email about the association’s Board of Directors election, a web site outage or membership renewal notice. These messages will not be combined with any promotions. Due to their nature – you are opted‐into this type of communication..  These messages will not be combined with any promotions.  Due to their nature – you can not opt‐out of this type of communication.
• Customer Service – Anytime you request anything from IECA, you will receive a communication with the information you need/requested.  For example, you might get an email welcoming you to IECA upon joining, a thank you letter for renewing your membership, a confirmation letter upon registering for an event, or a communication if you have requested information from us.   Generally, this will be done via email or telephone, but we may use other mediums if it is appropriate. You will not be opted-out of this type of communication, but you may do so by changing your communication preferences.

IECA sends the following hard‐copy communications:
• Service‐related Announcements – Similar to the electronic communications of the same nature, we will send you strictly service‐related announcements on rare occasions when it is necessary to do so.  This will only be done when it is essential business of IECA or if there will be a disruption in your service.  For example, you might get a mailing about IECA’s Board of Directors election.  These messages will not be combined with any promotions.  Due to their nature – you are automatically opted‐in to this type of communication.
• Special Offers and Updates – we will occasionally send you information on products, services, special offers, and other promotions.  To ensure your privacy, you can opt in or out of these communications and the medium in which you receive them. Login to your online user account to opt-out of these types of offers.
• Member Benefits – we will send member benefits, such as membership directories and publications, to you based on your membership level.  These are not promotional in purpose, but may contain promotional material for IECA programs as well as third parties. Login to your online user account to opt-out of these types of offers.

We store information that we collect through session variables, log files, clear images, and third party sources to create a profile of your preferences.  We tie your personal information and purchasing history to information in this profile, in order to provide tailored promotions and marketing offers and to improve the content of the web site for you.  Of course, if you would prefer we do not market to you by a given medium, you can certainly opt‐out.

Will IECA share your information?

IECA shares aggregated demographic information about anyone in our database with partners, sponsors, and advertisers.  This information is general, and is not personally linked to you.  For example, we may say to a prospective advertiser “our largest member base resides in California with 1,200 members.”

In the case of IECA members, members’ contact information is listed on the web site and in print in the Online & Published Membership Directory.  This includes name, mailing address, fax, phone, email address, professional field of practice, credentials, and areas of expertise.  It may also contain other information, such as member biographies and pictures.  By becoming an IECA member, you agree to have this information displayed on IECA’s web site and the printed membership directory.  To ensure your privacy, you may opt‐out of the Membership Directory (both printed and online).  If you serve on a committee or volunteer in any capacity, or are a leader of your local Chapter, your personally identifiable information will be displayed on the volunteer, chapter, or committee pages.

We share personally identifiable information with third parties.  This may include name, company, mailing address, email addresses phone number and demographic fields such as field of practice and areas of expertise.  To ensure your privacy, you may opt‐out of having your information shared with third parties. IECA reserves the right to share appropriate information based on providing a member benefit vs. advertising to members.  From time-to-time, we rent mailing lists. When we rent a mailing list, the purchasing company is always contractually limited to using your address one time.  You have the option at that point to develop a relationship with the company by responding to their communication, but if you do nothing, they are absolutely prohibited from using your information again from that same mailing list.  In all cases, mailing lists will be provided to companies that offer a product or service that we feel will benefit you.  IECA reserves the right to share information at its discretion. 

In some cases, IECA will partner with a third party in order to sponsor an event or product.  In these cases, we will share all of the personally identifiable information of all attendees/purchasers of that product with the third party, including name, company, mailing address, email addresses and phone numbers.  In some cases, IECA uses co‐branded sites with a business partner. If the URL (web site address) on the site does not begin with www.ieca.org, any information collected there is not done by IECA, and is subject to the terms and conditions of that organizations’ privacy policy.

IECA occasionally uses third parties to provide a service. While we strive to partner with organizations which share our belief that privacy is of paramount concern, we are not responsible for their actions.  We encourage you to read all privacy policies for the web sites you may visit as a result of following a link from our site. 

We reserve the right to disclose your personally identifiable information as required by law and when we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights and/or to comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process.

If you use a forum, blog, social network, or listserve, you should be aware that any personally identifiable information you submit there can be read, collected, or used by others, and could be used to send you unsolicited messages.  We are not responsible for the personally identifiable information you choose to submit in these types of mediums.

What is your relationship with IECA Chapters?

IECA’s Chapters are separate legal entities from IECA.  We provide them with access to all IECA data, both for members and non‐members.  We also require them, as part of our business relationship, to honor your requests regarding your information and contact methods.  However, it is important to note, that by giving IECA any information, we will pass it on to IECA Chapters.

Can I delete my data?

Yes, you can delete your IECA account anytime. Deleting your account will erase all personal information in your account that we may have about you. And, it will mean any data about how you’ve worked IECA in the past will become anonymous.

Deleting your account won’t delete any data you’ve shared with IECA for reasons that aren’t connected to your account. For example, you will continue to receive IECA SmartBrief. If you want to delete your information with SmartBrief, you will have to contact the organization directly. Please note: If you delete your IECA account, you won’t be able to access your IECA account which includes education certificate downloads, conference participation and other educational participation. Any IECA store account information that’s associated with it, will also be deleted as they share the same technology. 

If you would still like to delete your account, please email membership@ieca.org or call 303-640-7554 to have your information deleted.

How can I opt‐out of a communication medium?

Anyone whose personal information is on file with IECA has the right to opt‐out of a given form of promotional communication.  Currently, you can opt‐out of receiving the following from IECA: promotions by mail, promotions by fax, promotions by email, our monthly e‐newsletter (E‐update), promotions for IECA events, the Environmental Connection Magazine or having your information shared with a third party.

If IECA’s communication is sent via email and it is not a service‐related message, you have the option to opt‐out by following the instructions on the top or bottom of the email.

Members can update their opt‐out list by updating their profile in the Member’s Only section of IECA’s web site.  Non‐members can update their settings by calling IECA at 303 640‐7554.

What is an opt-in communication?

IECA historically operated on a model of opt-out communications. This meant that once you give us a contact method (such as an email address, mailing address, or fax number) we have used it to contact you, unless you chose not to receive communications by that method (opted-out).

In an effort to better serve our members, we have chosen to use an opt-in style of communication for emails. Unlike our opt-out choices, opt-in allows you to choose the content of the emails you receive from IECA. With an opt-in system, you can pick and choose what types of messages you receive. Other types of communications, such as physical mailings and faxes, will still be governed by opt-outs.

Does IECA track what I do on your web site?

As is true of most web sites, we gather certain information automatically and store it on log files.  This information includes internet protocol address, browser type, internet service provider, referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamp and clickstream data.  In addition to log file information, we also use Google Analytics to collect the same information.  Information collected through these mechanisms can be tied back to information that can be personally identifiable, such as internet protocol addresses.

We use this information to analyze trends, to administer the site, to track user movements around the web site and to gather information about our user base as a whole. From time to time, we include clear images (pixels) on certain pages or in the body of emails for the purposes of tracking the effectiveness of a given program.

The majority of the ads appearing on our web site are from third parties.  We share web site usage information with them (including clickthru data) for the purpose of targeting our Internet banner advertisements.  This information is not personally identifiable.

In order to track whether you are logged in and have rights as a logged in member, our site employs session variables.  This is a small amount of information stored about you on our servers.  This information is personally identifiable.  For example, this is how we can pre‐fill a web form with your information.  If you are logged in, we do track what you do for the purpose of building an online profile about you and to information and to determine the effectiveness of programs and services.  While the session variable expires a small time after you leave the site, any tracking information will permanently reside in our database.

Our web site contains links to other web sites not controlled by IECA.  We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any such web sites.  We encourage you to be aware of this when you leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site you visit.  This privacy statement applies only to information collected by IECA.

Where can I update or access my information?

If your personally identifiable information changes, you may correct or update it by using the member profile section of the web site or by emailing customer support at info@ieca.org. If you are a non-member, you may request us to update your information by emailing info@ieca.org, or by calling IECA at (303) 640-7554. If you wish to have your information removed from our database, you may do so by calling IECA at (303) 640-7554

We understand that this information is important to you, so you can always contact us and make changes, or opt-out of communications

What if there is a change?

In the event that IECA undertakes a business transition, such as a merger, acquisition by another entity, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, your personally identifiable information will likely be among the assets transferred.  You will be notified via email of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

What happens if IECA changes this privacy policy?

If IECA decides to change our privacy policy, we will post the changes to our web site, and other communication we deem appropriate to keep you appraised of our current policy and practices.

We reserve the right to modify this privacy statement at any time, so please review it frequently.

How do I contact IECA?

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding our privacy policy, please contact us at:  
Phone: 303 640‐7554
Fax: 866-308‐3087
Email: Info@ieca.org
URL: http://www.ieca.org/
Mail:  3033 S Parker Rd, Suite 410, Aurora, CO 80014 USA

Dated: 12/5/2007
Update: 9/4/08 (address change)
Update: 11/5/2008
Update: 4/25/2014
Update: 9/24/2015
Update: 5/16/2018
Update: 12/31/2019
Update: 2/2/20