PPB June 2021

industry. I also looked for a company that is aligned with my goals and offered me an opportunity to utilize my extensive experience in professional development and conference-planning. I can clearly see how my goals align with the purpose of this organization. As a natural innovator, I know that I will thrive in a situation where innovation is at the forefront of everything we do. PPB: What are your initial objectives for the position? Brown-Matthis: I bring to this position my unique talents, abilities and skills in professional development planning and management, speaker acquisition and program development, and management. As a result of my vast experience, my primary objective is to contribute in a meaningful and impactful way to the ongoing success of PPAI’s programs and objectives while building on the team’s strengths. PPB: Outside of PPAI, what are your interests? Brown-Matthis: I am active in my church ministry where I lead a global educational missions ministry in the Caribbean. My mission’s ministry focus is on improving the quality of education for trauma-impacted girls who reside in group home facilities. I am active in philanthropic life, community development and social justice, serving on several educational advisory boards and committees. I love spending time with my family; my husband James; my children Jason, Jordan and James IV; my grandson Jaeden and my nephew Chaimond. We enjoy traveling, family gatherings and outdoor activities. As a lifelong learner, I continually enjoy exploring the latest training pedagogy, methods and innovation to enhance learning retention and execution. My favorite quote is from Shirley Chisolm, “Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.” PromoTalks’ April Podcast Explores What Drives H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award Recipients For more than a year PPAI’s PromoTalks podcast series has brought industry thought leaders, business executives and subject matter experts together for insightful, engaging conversations important to promotional products professionals and their businesses. In PromoTalks’ April episode, “PPB Presents: Giving Back By Paying It Forward,” two recent recipients of PPAI’s H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award—Rod Brown, CAS, founder and retired CFO of distributor MadeToOrder who won the award in 2020, and Bob Waldorf, CAS, founder of Idea Man and the 2021 recipient—talk about the organizations they support, how and why they got involved and how their lives have been changed through their connections with those groups. The conversation was moderated by Tina Berres Filipski, director of publications and editor at PPAI. Tune in to listen to this 33-minute podcast and the full library of PromoTalks’ insightful and helpful discussions, available free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and at pubs.ppai.org/promotalks. Industry Companies Share Their Pandemic Insights In Latest PromoPolls In April, PPAI’s weekly PromoPolls gauged industry opinions on a wide variety of promotional products and business subjects. The poll, included in every issue of PPB Newslink and on the PPAI Media website, provides an anecdotal snapshot of insights on key issues. The latest poll questions focused on some of the lessons learned during a year of working during a pandemic, and how industry professionals were handling the transition as vaccines became readily available and business begins returning to a more normal mindset. Among the questions was this one: “Which COVID-related U.S. government programs has your company applied for or used?” It found that 50 percent of respondents had taken 92 | JUNE 2021 | CONNECT