Today, at the PPAI North American Leadership Conference, the Association announced those selected for its highest honors, namely, the inductees to the 2020 Hall Of Fame, and recipients of the 2020 H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award and the PPAI Distinguished Service Award. All will be honored during the Chairman’s Leadership Dinner at The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, Monday, January 13, 2020, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

PPAI has selected Carl Gerlach, MAS, former vice president of marketing at Lenexa, Kansas, supplier Gill Studios, Inc., who retired in 2018 and Roni Wright, MAS, vice president of Delray Beach, Florida, supplier, The Book Company, as its 2020 PPAI Hall of Fame inductees. Through its Hall of Fame, PPAI gives permanent recognition to individuals whose selfless efforts and dedication have been monumental to the industry’s growth and prosperity.

Rod Brown, CAS, founder of Pleasanton, California-based distributor MadeToOrder, is the 2020 H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award recipient. Named after the late H. Ted Olson, MAS, PPAI president emeritus, the award represents what Olson stood for—volunteerism inside and outside of the promotional products industry. The award is presented to PPAI members who have shown long-standing empathy, devotion and commitment to improving quality of life and facilitating change for the betterment of a community.

The 2020 recipients of its 2020 PPAI Distinguished Service Award are Rick Brenner, MAS+, president of Mamaroneck, New York-based RFBrenner, LLC, and Kippie Helzel, MAS, senior vice president at Erie, Pennsylvania supplier, CPS/Keystone Line. The Distinguished Service Award celebrates PPAI members who consistently contribute their skills and expertise toward the betterment of the Association. Through volunteer service or by offering their leadership to PPAI, they generously give the benefit of their energy, time and enthusiasm to the Association.

Read more about these honorees and their accomplishments in Tuesday’s PPB Newslink.