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only my individual state but the
U.S. economy as a whole.”
First-timer Daniel Roso, vice
president of sales and marketing
for Travelchair, was thrilled with
the opportunity to talk with his
legislators. “The coolest part of
this experience is it’s really
empowering to get to speak on
behalf of our entire industry—to
get that trust and that weight
behind what you are saying, it’s
quite an honor,” he says. “If you
are considering doing something
like this or have some skepticism
about how our government
works, this is really empowering.
Just to get that experience and
see that there is something you
can do about it motivates you to
believe in the government, try to
drive change and get behind
something that matters.”
As part of L.E.A.D., the
Association recognized Rep.
Steve Chabot (R-OH) and Rep.
Greg Walden (R-OR) as its 2016
Legislators of the Year. The PPAI
Legislator of the Year Award rec-
ognizes members of Congress
who have shown a commitment
to small-business interests and
success, a willingness to meet
with industry professionals and
who have given their support to
issues critical to the promotional
products industry. Past recipients
of the PPAI Legislator of the Year
award are Rep. Tim Murphy (R-
PA), 2012; Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-
MN), 2013; Rep. Renee Ellmers
(R-NC), 2014; and Sen. Ron
Johnson (R-WI), 2015.
Conversations during
L.E.A.D. focused on important
national and state issues, includ-
ing the Department of Labor’s
overtime rule; the Safe Harbor
Rule of the Revenue Act of 1978
regarding independent contrac-
tors; deductibility for business
advertising expenditures and leg-
islation to modify the tax code to
support incentives for wellness
programs, among other issues.
“The meetings I was involved
in were right on task,” says Brad
Ness, president of Fargo, North
Dakota’s S & S Promotional
Group. “We had some good
conversations about independent
contractors and the overtime
rules, and they remembered us
from last year as well as some of
the things I told them in those
visits. One of the aides I visited
with thanked me for the hand
sanitizer I gave her last year—she
remembered it. The word is get-
ting out about our industry.”
JULY 2016 •
PPB
• 79
INSIDE
PPAI
“Our voices are definitely being
heard.
I’m very proud of what our
members have accomplished on
behalf of the industry.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
Andrew Spellman (left), Victorniox Swiss Army and Nicholas D’Eramo (right),
Triple Stitch with Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) • Bob Levitt, right, Bob Levitt Company, and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-
CA • Ryan Small, Blue Dog Merch (left), Joe Walkup, Innovative Business Products, LLC (right) and Rep. Jim
Collins (D-TN) • L.E.A.D. drew participants from 30 states. Its Texas delegation included (from left) Peter
Hirsch, MAS; D’Anna Zimmer; Matt Storlien; Dana Floyd; Leslie Roark, CAS, and Sean Roark, CPIM.
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