Forever Chairing Boards After volunteering countless hours of her promotional products career to chairing industry boards of all kinds, you’d think that retirement might have opened a lot of free time for Carol Aastad. “Interestingly, I have been still chairing boards,” Aastad says. “All my life I have been a volunteer, since the day I was a Girl Scout.” A few boards she has chaired include: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Advocating on behalf of foster children to find permanent homes. Milagro House Focusing specifically on mothers who live in poverty as members of marginalized communities. A Memory Care Center campaign Aastad is fundraising to build a facility that addresses dementia in the retirement community where she resides. PPAI Woman of Achievement award and the 2016 PPAI Fellow Recognition award, topped off by her 2023 induction into the PPAI Hall of Fame. “I knew all these stalwarts in the industry who had been in the Hall of Fame, and I held them in such high esteem,” Aastad says, “and to think that I could stand next to them and be a Hall of Famer is just almost indescribable.” Three years after her company joined Geiger and Aastad got the opportunity to thrive as a big fish in a big pond, it was time for her to retire in 2009. She had done everything she could do in promotional products, more than anyone would have asked. “This industry has been such a joy for me,” she says. Hall of Fame | Must Read PPAI/582106 SAGE/50398 No Minimums FREE SETUP When Looking forDisplayProducts, High quality full-color displayproducts at an affordable price froma trusted supplier WeHaveWhatYouNeed! Go To DiscountMarketingProducts.com & Click on Promotions for Sale Pricing 147 Table Cover Styles 28 Display Wall Styles Visit Us At Booth 3461 PPAI • JANUARY 2023 • 65
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