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MARCH 2016 •
PPB
• 87
IMA PRESENTS LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO
NORMA JEAN KNOLLENBERG
NORMA JEAN KNOLLENBERG, CIP, CPIM, was honored with
a Lifetime Achievement Award and a lifetime membership by the
Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) at a reception in her honor
during The PPAI Expo in January. Knollenberg sold her company,
Top Brands, Inc., last fall and announced her retirement to spend
more time with her husband, Gus, and family. She also recently
completed her term on the PPAI Board of Directors.
One of the original founders of IMA in 1999, she became
president of Incentive Manufacturers and Representatives Alliance,
one of IMA’s special interest groups, a year
later. She has also served as president of
IMA, and was honored with its President’s
Award in 2012.
“Norma Jean does not stand very tall,
but do not let that fool you. She has been a
giant in our industry for many years and a
mentor to many, including myself,” says
Spencer Toomey, CPIM, senior vice presi-
dent of Luxury Lines by MMSC, who has worked with Knollenberg
through IMA. “Norma Jean has been involved in virtually every
alphabet soup association, alliance and federation in our industry.
Her long-time involvement and dedication to IMA has helped
make it the success it is today. She truly is a superstar.”
Sean Roark, CPIM, owner of PromoPros/IncenPros, has also
been an IMA volunteer with Knollenberg. “Years ago, I was attend-
ing my first IMA annual Summit meeting, and had signed up to
take a certification test. Wandering through the lobby, a nice lady
asked me if she could assist me—clearly I looked like a lost puppy.
She got me to the correct room, and when she saw me after my
exam, she started introducing me to everyone in the room. It turns
out this lady was the chairman of that year’s Summit, and the
incoming president of IMA, Norma Jean Knollenberg.
“Since then, over and over again, Norma Jean has been an
essential part of my success in making the transition from strictly
promotional products into the incentive industry. In fact, my sug-
gestion to offer Norma Jean a lifetime membership in IMA (which
our board of directors unanimously endorsed), was purely selfish.
As incoming president of IMA, I absolutely want N-J as a member,
confidant and source of wisdom during my tenure. She is one of the
great influences in my life, and as much as I miss her, I am delight-
ed that she will have more time at the lake and doing all the other
things that she put on the backburner all these years so that she
could contribute to the promotional product and incentive market-
place in such a significant way. I am completely comfortable saying
that I am a better person, and certainly a better incentive solution
provider, as a direct result of Norma Jean Knollenberg.”
PEOPLE
NEWS
Ladena Heming
Joel Serber
Norma Jean
Knollenberg
Tammy Vaughn
Citizen Watch Company, Ltd.
,
parent of Bulova Corporation
(UPIC: BULO0001)—
Jeffrey
Cohen
, promoted to president of
Bulova Corporation. He will also
continue in his role as president
of Citizen Watch Company of
America.
Fossa Apparel
(UPIC: FOSSA)—
Joel Serber
, national sales
manager
Graphcoline
(UPIC:
GRAPHCO)—
Mitzi McQueary
,
promoted to head of the media
department
Hub Pen Company
(UPIC:
HUBPEN)—
John Gibbons
, sales
Identification Plates, Inc.
(UPIC:
ID-LINE)—
Matthew Crownover
,
promoted to president
Mike Brothers Emblematic
Solution
(UPIC: MikeBros)—
Steve Belosi
of Eagle Marketing
to represent the company in
Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and
Ohio
Quinn Flags
(UPIC: Quinn)—
Tammy Vaughn
, human
resources manager
SnugZ USA
(UPIC:
SNUGZUSA)—
Jeff Anderton
,
senior content strategist
Spector and Co.
(UPIC:
SPEC0038)—
Mozelle Brick
,
regional sales manager for
Alabama, Georgia and
Tennessee
Sterling Cut Glass
(UPIC:
STERL881)—
Tessa Trumble
,
Western territory sales manager
IN MEMORIAM
Robert John Pecher
, CEO of St.
Louis, Missouri supplier
Skinner
& Kennedy Co.
(UPIC:
SKINNER), passed away on
January 17. He was 93.
Pecher was preceded in
death by his first wife, Mary Lou
Pecher, and daughter Kathleen
Black. He is survived by his wife
Betty J. Pecher, and children:
Mary Lou Pecher; Charles Pecher
and his wife, Patricia; Barbara
Roman and her husband, Mark;
Patti Carter and her husband,
Michael; and June Hendrix and
her husband Sam; the father of
Betty’s children, Bill Knoop and
his wife, Kathy; the children,
Barbara Kohring and her hus-
band, Mark; and Jane Timme
and her husband, Rob; 24 grand-
children and 18 grandchildren.
A funeral mass for Pecher
was at the Ascension Catholic
Church in Chesterfield, Missouri
on January 25, and he was
interred at the Jefferson Barracks
National Cemetery. In lieu of
flowers, contributions may be
made to St. Jude Children’s
Hospital.