PPB January 2020

Enthusiasm That’s Boundless And Contagious Kippie Helzel, MAS, has brought effortless energy and expertise to the promotional products industry and inspired others to do the same. by James Khattak Kippie Helzel with her husband, Richard. “The friendships I have made through my volunteering have had a tremendous impact on my career. Some friends became true mentors, helping me develop in so many ways. ” I f there is a common theme among the effusive and copious praise, anecdotes and recollections from the many peers who nominated and supported Kippie Helzel, MAS, for PPAI’s 2020 Distinguished Service Award, it’s one of tireless volunteerism and support to a wide range of causes and goals, both large and small. And the stories they share go back decades, which is no surprise, really, as Helzel, senior vice president at Erie, Pennsylvania supplier CPS/Keystone Line, is naturally drawn to volunteerism. “I have always gravitated towards volunteering. I think it is a combination of obligation and personal interest,” says Helzel. “Obligation in the sense that outside of our institutions, nothing good happens without people giving time and effort. That includes good defined by efforts to help improve standards and support people in the industry, and the good that comes from contributing to a cause, whether creating community or helping with specific initiatives that need vision and hands-on support. And personal interest, for me, is defined by a sense that I can help make a difference and I am better for it as a result.” Within the promotional products industry, Helzel’s volunteerism has made its mark on numerous regional associations and the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF), as well as several PPAI committees and action groups. Helzel’s imprint on PPEF is an indelible one. She served on the foundation’s board for more than eight years, as a member of the board of trustees from 2010-2012, as chair-elect in 2012-2013, as chair of the board from 2013-2015 and immediate past chair from 2015-2017. During her tenure on the board, scholarship awards grew from $100,000 for 94 students in 2010 to $175,000 for 117 students in 2017. “I have known Kippie Helzel for almost my entire industry career. Not only has she been there for me as a personal and professional mentor, Kippie exhibits the highest standards of industry professionalism,” says Roni Wright, MAS, one of Helzel’s nominators, and a 2020 PPAI Hall of Fame inductee. “An important achievement for Kippie was seeing her idea to determine a way to sustain PPEF long into the future. Together with her board, they established and set in motion a financial formula to allocate the funds for the scholarship program in a way that preserves the integrity and foundation of PPEF; something she is proud to have PPAI’s Top Awards | FEATURE | JANUARY 2020 | 47