PPB December 2019

PPAIWelcomes DawnOlds, CAS; KevinWalshAnd VeraMuzzilloAs New2020 BoardDirectors In October, PPAI announced three new additions to the Association’s board: Dawn Olds, CAS, senior vice president of operations at distributor HALO Branded Solutions; Kevin Walsh, president at supplier Showdown Displays; and Vera Muzzillo, CEO of distributor group Proforma. Olds and Walsh were approved by the Association membership in the 2019 board election and will serve four-year terms, and Muzzillo was appointed to a two-year at-large director position on the PPAI board. All three new directors will begin their terms immediately following The PPAI Expo 2020 in January. With three new faces joining the board next month, PPB reached out to them to learn more about their backgrounds and goals for their terms on the board. DawnOlds, CAS PPB Why do you want to serve on the PPAI Board? Dawn Olds I have been a PPAI volunteer for several years, and I appreciate what the Association does to protect and serve the industry. Volunteering at the board level is an exciting way to support the Association, and I appreciated the opportunity to do so. PPB What unique strengths and experiences do you bring to the PPAI board? Olds During my 31 years at HALO, I’ve had the opportunity to play a wide variety of roles. I started my career in accounting, moving to a software development manager in IT after I served on a committee formed to build a new ERP system. Being well-versed in both accounting and IT was very helpful for me in the more general operational role I have now, in which I work with highly entrepreneurial sales partners who share similar views of the industry as PPAI’s small to medium distributor members. I believe my experience in accounting and IT, in addition to the close collaboration I have had with suppliers and industry salespeople, bring a unique set of strengths and experiences to the PPAI board. PPB What would you like to accomplish during your board term? Olds Free health care for all! (Just kidding!) I have no formal platform or plan in mind for my term. Being part of a board is a team effort, so I’d like to be able to look back when my term is over and say that my contributions helped move the team forward in a positive way. PPB Are there any industry challenges or issues that you’d like to see renewed focus on? Olds As recent industry news has shown, it is critical that we join together as an Association to keep the message about the power and importance of promotional products front of mind with both legislators and consumers. Product safety is equally as critical, since a major public failure in this regard would make my first point on this question a lot harder. KevinWalsh PPB Why do you want to serve on the PPAI Board? Kevin Walsh The opportunity to give back to an industry that I’ve received so much from is my primary thought. I’ve been fortunate enough to have experienced this industry from so many different perspectives and in the process to have met, know and learned from so many remarkable industry people. Those experiences, interactions, relationships—those people have helped me to become who I am today. I can only hope that through my participation in the board that someday, far in the future, I will have had an equally positively influence on current members, who will be our future leaders. 106 | DECEMBER 2019 | CONNECT