PPB November 2017

Kates, PottebaumAnd Hagan To Join PPAI Board In September, PPAI members elected Lori Kates, president of IMAGEN Brands, and Todd Pottebaum, MAS+, president of Quality Resource Group, Inc., to the PPAI Board of Directors. PPAI has also appointed Jim Hagan, CEO of City of Industry, California-based supplier Sweda Company, LLC, to the at-large- director position for the PPAI Board of Directors. Kates and Pottebaum will begin their four-year terms, and Hagan his two-year term, immediately following The PPAI Expo 2018 in January. IMAGEN Brands is the parent company of suppliers Crown Products and Vitronic, and Kates has worked in the promotional products industry for more than 21 years. In that time, she has served on the PPAI Professional Development Committee and PPAI Market Research Committee, and has been involved in the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF). Kates has also devoted her time to participating in professional development events including the North American Leadership Conference, Women’s Leadership Conference, the PromoKitchen Mentor Program and the ASI Power Summit. She is a 2013 recipient of the ASI Supplier Woman of Distinction honor and has been recognized by the ASI Power 50 program four years in a row. Pottebaum has spent 17 years working in promotional products and has served as committee member and chair of the PPAI Market Research Committee and as a speaker at several PPAI Expo education events. A member of Upper Midwest Association of Promotional Professionals, Pottebaum has served as president, vice president, treasurer and secretary as well as a board member, volunteer chair and co-chair for the regional association’s End Buyer Expo. In 2015, he was named UMAPP Volunteer of the Year. Hagan has been with Sweda since 2001, has served as chair of the Sweda board since 2015 and assumed the role of CEO last January. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s sales, operations and financial performance. Before becoming chair and CEO, he was president and CEO from 2007 to 2015, and prior to that, from 2001 to 2006 he served as vice president of sales. The board of directors is the governing body for PPAI and plays a major role in directing its strategic activities, adopting policies and approving budgets to carry out the work of the Association. PPAI’s incoming board members bring diverse backgrounds and experiences to the Association’s volunteer leadership. Read more in the December issue when PPB sits down with each new director for their take on industry issues. PPAI Names Ellen Tucker Director Of Business Development PPAI has promoted Ellen Tucker to director of business development. Tucker joined the Association as its business development manager in 2014, bringing a strong background in management and advertising, and experience working with associations, to the role. In her new position, Tucker will continue to oversee several initiatives within the Association, including sponsorship and advertising opportunities surrounding The PPAI Expo and PPAI’s publications. She will also work to develop new options for industry companies and avenues for PPAI to partner and collaborate with industry groups and associations in the marketing industry. PPB recently spoke with Tucker on her new position and her expectations for the role. PPB: What excites you about your new position within the Association? Ellen Tucker: I am excited to take a fresh look at PPAI’s Distributor Engagement Program as well as to begin taking a more active role in driving ideas for new partnerships, both within and outside the industry. PPB: In your view, how does your position fit within PPAI’s goal of serving its members? Tucker: One of the responsibilities of this position is to develop, evaluate and drive most of PPAI’s non-dues revenue. This revenue helps to fund PPAI programs that help PPAI’s members on many levels, from education to lobbying. PPB: What are your plans for your first 90 days in the position? Tucker: To evaluate our Distributor Engagement Program with the goal of growing the program as well as tailoring it to each of the trade shows. PPB: Outside of PPAI, what are your interests? Tucker: I love to travel, both internationally and within the States; and soccer, both continuing to play as an adult and watching. I am also a diehard Green Bay Packers fan. Tucker can be reached at EllenT@ppai.org or 972-258-3095. Ellen Tucker Lori Kates Todd Pottebaum, MAS+ Jim Hagan 82 | NOVEMBER 2017 | CONNECT