PPB January 2018

PPAI 2018 Award Winners | FEATURE and CEO Steve Slagle, CAE, and the PPAI staff. “I loved working at PPAI and I could have happily lived in Dallas the rest of my life,” Woods says. But, again, fate intervened— and this time it took himback home to Massachusetts, where another company needed a turnaround.The company was distributor Adventures In Advertising (which later became AIA Corporation) based in Quincy, Massachusetts; it was owned by 4imprint PLC, a British company that also owned distributor 4imprint, Inc. based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. OnceWoods was hired as CEO, he realized the only way to save the company was tomove it to Oshkosh, where it could share office space and resources with 4imprint.Themove proved to be the right decision, but two years later the chairman of 4imprint PLC decided to sell. DidWoods want to buy Adventures In Advertising? Absolutely! With backing froma private equity group, Woods bought the distributor, shortened the name to AIA andmoved the company to nearby Neenah, Wisconsin. “We had great people and created a strongmission, vision and values, and built a winning team. I was proud to be the coach of that team,” he says. Life was good. In addition to running AIA, Woods had become deeply involved in volunteer leadership at PPAI and Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF). “I didn’t get into this industry until I was 47—I had to catch up,” he says. Fromhis first committee role, he was hooked and continued to serve for many years contributing his expertise and enthusiasm tomore than a dozen committees and action groups. He served two terms on the PPAI Board, and as chair in 2000-2001. He also served on the PPEF board and as chair in 2009. One day someone asked him, “When are you going to do the things you really want to do? Howmuch is enough?” Woods had been working since he was 10 years old, helping on a farm; he was now 73. It was time. “I really haven’t retired, but I’ve changed my focus,” says Woods, who stepped away fromAIA in 2016 but still lives in Appleton, Wisconsin.These days he continues to lead not-for-profit organizations and is also raising capital for a biodiesel startup. His major efforts benefit nonprofit organizations that feed his passions for the arts and helping disadvantaged youth. Since 2008 he’s served on the board for the BergstromMahler Museumof Glass, and as a boardmember and now president of the Green Lake Festival of Music where he’s heading up a $1million fundraising campaign. Woods also lends his expertise to the Beaver Brook Association, a 2,000-acre wildlife conservation area inHollis, New Hampshire that offers programs for inner city kids, and the Chicago All Stars, a group working to build an after-school performing arts center in the Chicago Loop area for at-risk youth. He also finds time tomentor three young people, one of whom is a talented musical artist. Woods had the privilege of presenting the youngman’s debut at Carnegie Hall in November. Woods says his desire to help others is something his parents taught him. “We were rich in everything except money—always rich in love and kindness, and I was taught to help other people.” He also enjoys honoring the memory of those who gave himhis start. “The people who helpedme when I was young are gone and I can’t help them—but I can carry on their traditions. Nothingmakes me happier than helping a disadvantaged child.” An avid traveler and lifelong car fanatic, he’s also enjoying leisurely road trips to see friends back east, and his sons—two of whom live in Michigan and one in Tennessee, along with his six grandchildren. Woods recognizes the importance of making each day count. “Never forget, too late comes too soon,” he says. “I want to achieve everything I want in life by next Tuesday because you never knowwhat’s going to happen.” Askedwhat he’s proudest of over his long life and career, Woods takes a thoughtful pause. “I have been blessed by having some terrific people come intomy life and change it dramatically,” he says, counting also the many friends he’s made and relationships he’s built over the past 25 years in the promotional products industry. He’s also proud of rebuilding LeeWayne Corporation and AIA into strong, vital organizations. “These things are a teameffort and I’ve coached some terrific teams,” he adds. Among the things he wants to continue is tomake a difference to others. “When I was a little kid in some tough situations, somebody was always there to helpme. I want to be that somebody for the next generation.” Tina Berres Filipski is editor of PPB. David Woods is extremely close to his family which includes three sons, Stephen, Nicholas and Ted, and six grandchildren. | JANUARY 2018 | 31