The 2013 PPAI Woman of Achievement award winners Roni Wright, MAS, (left) and the late Janelle Nevins.

The 2013 PPAI Woman of Achievement award recognizes an individual who has led the way in the advancement of women in the industry, exhibited outstanding leadership and made significant contributions to the industry and her community. This year, PPAI recognizes two who have inspired others as both role models and mentors: Roni Wright, MAS, vice president of The Book Company, and the late Janelle Nevins, who was senior vice president of the Summit Group. Nevins passed away in August 2012 after a long illness.

Roni Wright’s time in the promotional products industry began almost 30 years ago, with the past nine years spent at Delray Beach, Florida, supplier The Book Company. There, she has led sales efforts and managed regional sales rep companies and distributor relations.

Doug Greenhut, The Book Company president and Wright’s nominator, says, “The Book Company’s many successes are easily traced to this one woman’s incredible vision, dedication and true belief that what we do and how we do it can make a difference.”

Wright is a member of the PPAI Board of Directors Class of 2011. She has also served two terms on the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) board, including as board chair in 2010; the Regional Association Council (RAC) Board of Directors; and held board officer positions with both PPAFlorida and the former Young Executives Specialty Advertising Association (YESAA). Wright has been involved in a number of committees and groups within PPAI, including the UPIC Taskforce, the Education Certification Committee, the Professional Development Committee and the Women’s Leadership Taskforce. Her accomplishments have been recognized with a PPAI Distinguished Service Award in 2007, a Three Rivers Advertising Specialty Association (TRASA) Volunteer of the Year Award, a YESSA Young Executive of the Year Award and the Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY) Linda Robinson Scholarship in 2006.

Over the course of a 34-year career, Janelle Nevins found considerable success in the promotional products industry. One of its most storied moments was a cold call that landed Coca-Cola as a client, a relationship that lasted through the rest of her career. In the following decades, Nevins Marketing Group grew into a prominent Atlanta-area presence in the promotional products industry, and later became a part of Summit Group.

Nevins was also an active volunteer in the promotional products industry. She served on the PPAI Board of Directors from 2003 to 2006 as well as on a number of the Association’s committees and councils, including the Public Relations Committee, the PPAI Centennial Committee, the Conventions Advisory Council, the Public Relations Advisory Council and the Distributors Advisory Council. She was also named the Counselor Person of the Year in 1999 and was a founder of the PeerNet Group, an alliance of promotional products and marketing distributors that collaborate to offer clients the best in service, creative ideas, competitive pricing and delivery.

Margie Price, MAS, one of Nevins’ nominators and winner of the award in 2011, says, “Janelle was an advocate, volunteer, business woman, mentor and always maintained her professionalism.  She brought her genteel personality to this industry and was known for her passion, honesty and beautiful smile. She never stopped believing in people and the power of love and family even when her days were numbered.”

The presentation of the 2013 PPAI Woman of Achievement award will take place during the 2013 Women’s Leadership Conference, July 8-10 in San Diego, California. Registration is still open and a few seats remain. Click here for details and registration.

PPAI, the regional associations and the PPDRF have established the Business Recovery Fund to help industry professionals get back to business after a disaster. It can help replace lost equipment and supplies, computers, cell phones, office supplies, promotional products catalogs and samples, or by providing a work space and other assistance as needed to get your business back up and running as soon as possible.

PPAI urges affected industry members who sustained losses in the wildfires to contact PPAI at BRF@ppai.org or 888-I-AM-PPAI (426-7724) for assistance with specific needs to re-start their business, to update their contact information, with questions or to report a business outage. The Business Recovery Fund has information and resources on its website about how to prepare for a disaster.

“The expanded department will allow Camsing to provide the enhanced level of sales support needed to effectively serve and cultivate more meaningful partnerships with our distributor community,” says Olivit.

Eileen Gunia, vice president of national accounts, will continue to manage national accounts. The new inside sales team includes:

• Greg Bertino, director of inside sales with direct account responsibility for the Eastern Midwest region: Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia
• Brandon Giles, territory account manager, Central Region: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin
• Dan Burke, territory account manager, East region: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont
• Jason McGuire, territory account manager, Mid-South region: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee
• Mitchell Gross, territory account manager, Mountain region: Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Canada
• Polly Magee, territory account manager, Mid-Atlantic region: Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
• Steve Hillriegel, territory account manager, South region: Florida and Puerto Rico
• Toby Brandenburgh, territory account manager, South Central region: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas
• Walter Smith, territory account manager, West region: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington
• Whitney Barbee, territory account manager, Upper Mid-West region: Illinois, Indiana and Michigan

Since 1981, Somethin’ Special has been a Glenwood, Colorado-based promotional advertising firm. SSCP’s associates have earned an excellent service reputation with its clients throughout the Western Slope, the Rocky Mountain region and beyond.

Brian Grall, Specialty Incentives’ president, says: “SSCP’s clients will benefit significantly from the Specialty Incentives’ breadth of support resources, our marketing alliance with the PeerNet Group and best-of-class supplier partnerships. With SSCP’s experienced sales force and stellar reputation, this is a great marriage of like-minded, client focused companies.”

Rebecca Korhonen of McCabe Promotional Advertising holds her new guitar with Prestige Glass National Sales Manager Tom Guitard.

Prestige Glass International (UPIC: P192659) launched its “Surf The Site” contest at Promotional Product Professionals of Canada’s (PPPC) 2013 National Convention in Toronto, Ontario. In the contest, distributors were encouraged to “surf” the supplier’s website and tell the company what they thought of the new site. The company put the suggestions received to use improving and refining the website.

Rebecca Korhonen of McCabe Promotional Advertising (UPIC: MCCA0001) was randomly chosen from more than 900 qualifying entries, winning a guitar and a practice amplifier. This guitar was on display at the PPPC award-winning Prestige Glass booth at the PPPC show and was used in concert at the Prestige Surf Party. Korhonen said she plans to practice often as she will be invited on stage at the 10th anniversary of the Prestige Party at the 2014 PPPC Convention in Toronto.

Maslan is the CEO of Allison Maslan International, a business mentoring company. She is the executive producer and host of her own weekly online television show, “Allie & You, The Business Success and Lifestyle Show.” She has also been a guest expert on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox stations across the U.S. and is now featured on all Virgin America flights as the entrepreneur to watch.

In her session, Maslan will share six steps to a “seven-figure business and lifestyle.” Her audience will take away lessons on growing their businesses while finding balance in their lives; information on why and how they must constantly wear an “inventor” hat as an entrepreneur; and insights into Maslan’s Three-Step Mojo Formula to help them achieve they results they’re after, as well as other ideas, tips and best practices to apply to their businesses.

The 2013 PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference will be held July 8-10 in San Diego, California. Seats are still available. Maslan’s session will be at 9 am on July 9. To learn more about WLC, click here.

Sign up for one of these engaging education sessions today:

June 20: PREMIUM EDUCATION: Selling Against Print Media

June 25: August Recess Advocacy

June 26: CPSIA: Hazard Identification

July 9: Be Bigger Than You Are With Virtual Partnering

July 10: CPSIA: Focus On Executive Desk Toys

PPAI’s on-demand webinars and videos enable industry members to continue their professional development anywhere, anytime. Click here for more information.

Joholske began his career at the CPSC in July 2000 in the agency’s Office of Compliance and Field Operations. While there, his primary focus was on enforcement of mandatory regulations governing consumer fireworks and cigarette lighters. He joined the new formed Office of Import Surveillance in 2008. The Office of Import Surveillance co-locates CPSC investigators at the largest ports of entry across the country, where they work side-by-side with U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to identify and examine imported shipments that may contain hazardous merchandise.

Joholske’s  presentation, scheduled for the morning of August 15, will examine new import enforcement laws and compliance. His is one of nine sessions on the PSS agenda, along with networking events and opportunities for small-group discussions. Register now to reserve your seat for this valuable, once-a-year education event.

Sue Korf of Promotional Art Services educated the group on Adobe Illustrator techniques, focusing on basic and advanced features as well as techniques to provide quality artwork to suppliers. Chris Jenkins of Gotcha Marketing Solutions spoke on the future of mobile marketing and how to attract, interact with and capture the end user. Dan Livengood with Newton Manufacturing gave a presentation on sales and closing strategies, focusing on the biggest sales challenges, how to build a successful sales framework, getting rid of road blocks, closing a sale and follow-up measures.

The final presentation was led by Gary Haley with Beacon Promotions, Inc. Haley led a product safety and product testing panel in an interactive discussion with four knowledgeable panelists and Education Extravaganza attendees. The discussion focused on helping distributors make safe supplier choices, information on the risks involved, details about product safety testing and how to assure safe products are delivered.

UMAPP used one of its prizes from this year’s RAC Certification Challenge—$750 in speaker expenses awarded at The PPAI Expo 2013—to offset some of the costs of the Education Extravaganza.

At The PPAI Expo 2013, UMAPP tied in the second leg of the RAC Certification challenge with SAAC for the most MAS/CAS designees among large regional associations.