PPB July 2015

DATEBOOK

Mike Schenker, MAS

DAY IN THE LIFE

Michael Emoff

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PEOPLE NEWS

NEW MEMBERS

JULY 2015 •

PPB

• 77

Chair-Elect Mary Jo Tomasini, CAS, CEO of distributor CE

Competitive Edge, LLC in Stevensville, Michigan, is a 30-plus-year

veteran of the promotional products industry, and started CE 23 years

ago. She is a member of the Michigan Promotional Professionals

Association (MiPPA) and PPAI’s Public Relations Advisory Group.

Tomasini has worked to encourage women in business, serving as a

Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) mentor for women in Michigan

starting a new business or considering Women’s Business Enterprise

National Council (WBENC) certification. She is an alumna of Lake

Michigan College and serves on the foundation and alumni boards.

She also currently chairs the Lake Michigan College Board of Trustees.

Vice Chair, Financial Services Bruce Perryman, MAS+ is CEO of

supplier Embroidery Unlimited, Inc., in Tempe, Arizona (UPIC:

EUINC). Perryman has more than 20 years’ experience working with

upscale fashion labels, major sports organizations and national fulfill-

ment programs. He is a past president of the Arizona Promotional

Products Association and a previous-term PPAI board member and

Regional Association Council delegate to the PPAI board. He has a

master’s degree in management and information management from

Stevens Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in business

management from St. Peter’s College.

Immediate Past Chair of the Board Rick Brenner, MAS+, is presi-

dent of supplier Prime Resources Corp. in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Brenner, a 17-year veteran of the promotional products industry, has

long been an advocate for product safety and responsible sourcing. He

is a founding board member of Quality Certification Alliance (QCA),

chair of QCA’s compliance committee and a member of QCA’s gover-

nance committee. Brenner is board vice president of the International

Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO), the

preeminent global product safety organization. He is also a founding

member of PPAI’s Product Responsibility Action Group (PRAG) and

co-chair of PPAI’s annual Product Responsibility Summit.

SNAPSHOTS

ON MAY 20-21, 78 industry profes-

sionals from 30 states met with senators,

congressional representatives and leg-

islative staff in Washington, D.C. to dis-

cuss relevant legislation, issues and

opportunities, as part of the sixth annual

PPAI Legislation Education and Action

Day (L.E.A.D.).

One-third of attendees were on their

first visit to D.C. as part of L.E.A.D., indi-

cating that a growing number of industry

members are committed to participating

in industry efforts in the legislature and

developing the relationships established

there. First-timer Rachel Valdez, CAS, a

sales executive with Omaha, Nebraska,

distributor The Creative J, says, “This

was my first L.E.A.D. experience and I

am so grateful that I was able to partici-

pate. Not only was it a great experience

to talk with members of Congress and

try to make a difference for our industry,

it was a wonderful way to meet other

professionals from all over the country.”

Dana Floyd, director of information

services at Addison, Texas-based SAGE,

was another attendee first-time L.E.A.D.

participant. She says, “The power of pro-

motional products is everywhere you go

and it’s an awesome message to spread.

Every office I walked into had at least

one promotional product and I loved

seeing the look in people’s eyes when

the light bulb went off and they realized

why we there and what we do. I wake

up every day excited to be part of this

L.E.A.D. 2015 Produces Connections, Powerful Conversations

Nearly 80 industry professionals joined PPAI L.E.A.D. 2015—one-third of them first-time

attendees—to bring the industry’s message to legislators and their staff on Capitol Hill.