Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the Texas-based not-for-profit association for the promotional products industry, announced its 2013 board officers and four candidates seeking election to the PPAI board of directors, class of 2017. Running September 4 to October 4, 2012, this is the first PPAI board election to reflect bylaws revisions that will restructure and reduce the size of the association’s board of directors.
2013-2014 PPAI Board Officers
The following industry professionals have volunteered to lend their expertise and guidance to help lead PPAI as Board Officers over the next year.
- Marc Simon, chief executive officer at HALO Branded Solutions (distributor), succeeds Steven Meyer, MAS, as chair of the board. Simon was appointed chief executive officer and a director of HALO Branded Solutions in February 2001. Under his leadership, HALO has grown significantly with more than 15 acquisitions and more than 200 new recruits. Prior to joining HALO, Simon spent 22 years in the private law practice with a focus on business planning and mergers and acquisitions, and five years as a leading executive in the call center industry. Simon is also a CPA and has a B.S. in accounting and a J.D. from the University of Illinois.
- Mark Jenkins, MAS, director of sales at Pioneer Balloon Company (supplier) will serve as chair-elect of the board. Jenkins has spent the past 25 years in the promotional products industry. He has served on the PPAI, PPMN and PPEF boards, suppliers committee, public relations action group and the governance work group, as well as the Incentive Marketing Association and United Way boards. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Ohio State University.
- Steven Meyer, MAS, vice president of sales at Molenaar LLC (supplier), continues his service on the board as immediate past chair. He is vice president of sales at Molenaar in Willmar, Minnesota. He joined Molenaar in 1998 and has served as vice president of sales for the past seven years.
- Rod Brown, CAS, chief financial officer of MadeToOrder (distributor) will serve as vice chair of financial services. Brown has spent the past 30 years in the promotional products industry. His volunteer service includes the PPAI board of directors, leadership advisory committee and public relations action group, as well as Promotional Marketing Association of Northern California and community groups.
Under bylaws revisions voted on by the PPAI board at its March 2012 meeting, the board officers, formerly comprised of chair, chair-elect and four vice chairs, will now consist of chair, chair-elect and the vice chair of financial services. The revisions also install the immediate past chair with full board status and voting rights for a term of one year.
Additional revisions to the bylaws will reduce total board seats from 17 members plus the immediate past chair to an 11-member board. The board will resize from eight distributors and eight suppliers to four distributors and four suppliers with four-year terms; and one distributor and one supplier, instead of two distributors and two suppliers, joining the board each year. Board representation will also include one regional association council (RAC) delegate and one at-large director.
2013 PPAI Board Of Directors Nominees
PPAI is pleased to present the following four individuals selected to run for office by the PPAI nominating committee from a candidate slate presented by the leadership advisory committee.
Distributor Candidates
- Tom Goos, Chief Operating Officer
Image Source Inc.
Kirkland, Washington - Dave Regan, MAS, Vice President of Sales
The Vernon Company
Newton, Iowa
Supplier Candidates
- Eric Johnson, MAS, Vice President of Sales
Halls & Company
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota - Kim Newell, President
World Wide Lines Inc.
Covington, Tennessee
Expanded Voting Pool
While the voting process has not changed, the pool of voters is larger and more inclusive. The bylaws revisions now grant voting rights to PPAI members in good standing from the business services, multi-line representatives, and international distributor and international supplier member categories. In the past, only suppliers and distributors could vote in the association’s board elections. In this year’s election, all PPAI member companies will be able to cast votes for one distributor and one supplier from the aforementioned candidates. The election will be conducted via electronic voting and paper ballots and the new board members will take office following The PPAI Expo 2013. The results of the election will be announced in mid-October.
For more information, visit www.ppai.org.
