PPB February 2016

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Pro Towels (UPIC:
PROTOWEL)—Jenell Sankey,
promoted to director of customer
service
Proinnovative (UPIC:
PROINNOV)—Incentives West
(UPIC: IDEAWEST) will represent
the company in the Western
region; Steve De Mars will serve
the SAAC and AZPPA regional
markets, Mark Shinn, MAS, will
serve NWPMA, PMANC and
RMRPPA markets, and Mary Jo
Bieker will be available in a sup-
port role
Terry Town (UPIC:
TERRYTWN)—Esmeralda Anaya,
marketing coordinator
IN MEMORIAM
Don Lafferre, CAS, owner of
Priority Promotions, a St. Louis-
based distributor, and the 2014
PPAI Hall of Fame inductee,
passed away on Tuesday,
December 22. He was 87.
Lafferre attended Indiana
State University after serving in
the U.S. Navy. While Lafferre was
a senior, an associate professor
recommended him for a position
with a local promotional products
firm, Terre Haute Advertising
(THADCO). Although he was an
accounting student, he accepted
the interview and took a position
with THADCO as a sales manager.
Lafferre continued in the promo-
tional products industry for 64
years.
For most of his career,
Lafferre worked to support the
progress and success of the indus-
try, including as a member of the
PPAI Board of Directors, PPAI
committees and advisory councils
and for landmark legislative
actions. He was a consummate
ambassador, writer and activist,
and was one of the most fervent
speakers in the PPAI ADvocate
program, speaking in support of
the promotional products industry
to educate businesses, community
groups and schools on the power
of promotional products.
While serving on the PPAI
Board of Directors, Lafferre con-
tributed to the formation of the
Regional Association Committee
and the recommendation to
move the Association headquar-
ters from Chicago to Irving,
Texas, and helped facilitate the
acquisition of the industry’s pre-
mier trade publication now
known as PPB, and the
creation of a fair dues
structure. Lafferre was
inducted into the PPAI
Hall of Fame at The
PPAI Expo 2014.
“Don was humbled,
honored and apprecia-
tive of the award, and
to be recognized
among people who were icons,
pioneers and mentors to Don in
his early years in the business,”
says Dave Lafferre, his son. “Did
you ever see a child at Christmas
looking at the gifts under the tree?
Don had that same inner child
‘glow’ every time someone men-
tioned his Hall of Fame status.”
Outside of the promotional
products industry, Lafferre’s pas-
sions included the city of
Florissant, the St. Louis, Missouri
suburb he moved to in 1960. At
the mayor’s request, he joined
the first Florissant Senior
Commission Board, and for the
past 15 years worked to improve
activities for senior citizens in the
community. His efforts were
rewarded last year, when
Florissant was named the No. 1
small city in America to retire to
by . Lafferre was also
active in the Knights of
Columbus, a Catholic men’s fra-
ternal service organization that
supported church and local com-
munities with service and philan-
thropic efforts.
Lafferre is survived by his
wife, Dennise; daughter and son-
in-law, Jean and Brian (Lafferre)
McFerron; son, Dave; brother,
Tom Lafferre; granddaughter and
grandson-in-law, Alyssa (Lafferre)
and Tylor Lampkin; and great-
grandson Rigby Jax Lampkin.
Services were held for
Lafferre at St. Norbert’s Catholic
Church in Florissant. The family
asks that donations be
made in his honor to
the Promotional
Products Education
Fund (PPEF) or to St.
Jude’s Children’s
Research Hospital.
In August 2012,
the PPAI Board of
Directors voted to cre-
ate a Hall of Fame Memorial
Program utilizing PPEF’s Named
Scholarships to honor Hall of
Fame members for their lifetime
contributions to the Association
and industry. The PPAI Board will
match donations up to $2,500 to
fulfill the $5,000 commitment
needed to create a Named
Scholarship through the PPEF. To
date, HOF Named Scholarships
have been created in memory of
Gene Cesario, Marvin Spike and
H.D. Joe Stratton.
Don Lafferre, CAS
Chris Reida
Sonia Long
PEOPLE NEWS
GOT NEWS?
We’ll share it. Send
your people news,
including high-res-
olution images, to
PPB News Editor
James Khattak at
.
Gerard Schifano
Jenell Sankey
To make a gift to establish a
scholarship in Don Lafferre’s
name, send a check payable to
PPEF mentioning Lafferre in the
memo line and mail it to PPEF,
3125 Skyway Circle North, Irving,
Texas 75038. Gifts can also be
made online at .
Click on Donate and enter the
gift as a Memorial/Honorary gift.
FEBRUARY 2016 • PPB • 83