Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) has been named PPAI’s 2017 Legislator of the Year. The award will be presented during the PPAI Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.), April 26-27 in Washington, D.C.

Elected in 2014, Peters will be recognized for his history of serving the needs of the promotional products industry by encouraging economic stability and growth through advocating for small business, promoting manufacturing and preserving jobs.

“We are pleased to recognize Sen. Peters, whose top priority is to support job creation and economic growth to strengthen small businesses,” says Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI president and CEO. “His willingness to work with bipartisan groups to further small business, job creation, tax credit legislation and other issues important to our industry has been essential to the promotional products industry and protecting its interests.”

The PPAI Legislator of the Year Award recognizes members of Congress who have shown a commitment to small-business interests and success, a willingness to meet with industry professionals and support of issues critical to the promotional products industry. In Peters’s home state of Michigan, 98 percent of promotional products companies are small businesses employing approximately 7,812 and generating revenues of more than $501.5 million.

The PPAI Legislator of the Year Award is presented as part of the eighth annual L.E.A.D. event. Nearly 80 advocates from 33 states will conduct more than 250 meetings with senators, congressional representatives and their legislative staffs on Capitol Hill to discuss pending legislation and issues relevant to the promotional products industry.

Past recipients of the PPAI Legislator of the Year award are Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), 2012; Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN), 2013; Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC), 2014; Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), 2015; and Reps. Steven Chabot (R-OH) and Greg Walden (R-OR) in 2016.