> Lessons from a friend…
VIEWPOINTS
by John O’Brien, CPMR
John O’Brien, CPMR,
ERA Chairman of the Board
As I initially set out to write this article, I was flooded time and again with a flurry of emotions. What could I say about Chuck Tanzola that would capture his essence? How could I put into words a way to honor him as a husband, father, grandfather, neighbor, community leader, business associate and more than anything, friend? I reached out to some of the folks Chuck and I both served with on the ERA Board and Executive Committee. We talked about Chuck. We reminisced about meetings, trips, phone conversations and meals. We laughed, we cried and we tried to help each other begin the healing. I even went back two years and reviewed Chuck’s musings in his articles for The Representor. Amazingly enough, the more I read and the more I talked to people, a pattern started to develop (I know Chuck always appreciated a good analysis). What became clear to me is what we all learned from Chuck and how we can use those teachings to continue his legacy.
First and foremost, Chuck was a family man. I remember the first time I got to meet his lovely wife, Pam, at the ERA Executive Committee meeting in Charleston, S.C. She instantly bonded with the group and I recall the look of love and respect on Chuck’s face the entire time. I recall fondly the stories he told and how he glowed with pride as a father as they were preparing for his son’s wedding. And of course, how excited he was at the arrival of his first granddaughter.
Here are some more reflections about Chuck from members of the ERA Executive Committee:
“What can I say about Chuck? A lot!” said Walter Tobin, ERA CEO. “He was a kind and gentle man; a man of faith who loved his wife, Pam, and his family. He was so looking forward to being a grandfather. Chuck was smart and was proud to be a Cornell grad. He read everything. He had a gentle and non-aggressive manner, but wasn’t afraid to gently challenge you, in a spirit of cooperation and with the goal to do the right thing. He had a firm hand on the rudder of ERA and EDS ships. He was funny; with a subtle wit and a twinkle in his eye. He was one of a kind. He will be missed but never forgotten.”
The ERA Executive Committee fondly remembers Chuck Tanzola, CPMR, ERA Board President, who passed away in December 2023.
“I remember a bus ride to dinner at an ERA National meeting where we talked about our kids and finding themselves,” said Ellen Coan, ERA SVP of Education. “Mine were in high school at the time. We talked about them entering the rep world and the nuances that would bring. Fast forward, and Chuck and I joined the grandparents club and our children have found themselves, some in the rep world and others helping the world in other ways. We continued to share their progress as well as our professional progress through many ERA national conferences and principal meetings.”
“Chuck planted a special rose variety called Charlie’s rose,” said Ellen. “It had arrived while we were at an ERA XCOM meeting in Boston and he was excited to get home to this special task. I bought my own ‘Charlie’s Rose’ and have it on my kitchen counter to remind me of the gracious man we lost this year.”
No matter the discussion topic, no matter the passion with which others around him spoke, Chuck had an innate ability to look at any situation and provide a perspective many of us had not considered.
“Whenever we had something to discuss, whether it was a rule change or a new policy, he always had the most interesting perspective which made me sit back and rethink the entire situation,” said Ken Bellero, ERA SVP of Manufacturing. “Chuck’s insights and contributions were invaluable. He was the guy to make you sit back and say…‘Hmm.’”
“He was always very generous and thoughtful with all of us,” said Ken. “I still have the gordian knot puzzle he gave us on my desk so I can remember him every day (but will not touch it for fear of never putting it back together!) Most of all I enjoyed his offbeat and witty humor.
“Chuck was the sounding board I used when I needed perspective,” said Cameron English, CPMR, ERA SVP of Industry. “I remember one time I called to ask him about an article I was working on for The Representor on supply chain volatility. Looking for insight on how and why things were so upside down, Chuck weighed in with a different angle on how we found ourselves in the position we were in.”
Cam reiterated Chuck’s ability to gain perspective, saying, “He could bring the objectivity back into a highly charged conversation. Reasoned and insightful, I can still hear his voice inside my head. Chuck was the benchmark for reason and thoughtfulness.”
“Chuck was even-handed and thoughtful in his approach,” said Gary Zullo, ERA SVP of Distribution. “We relied on his steady hand versus emotional responsiveness in turbulent times. He exuded confidence and positivity.”
In my opinion, the reason for Chuck’s amazing perspective was simple — he was a great listener. I know because he had an uncanny habit of repeating back to you what you had just said, to make sure he got it right and also give your thoughts validation. Many who got to spend time with Chuck mentioned the great conversations they had with him.
“I will cherish the rounds of golf that we played, especially the incredible conversation that we had while sharing a cart at the last Sager open,” said John Hutson, ERA SVP of Membership. “As a listener with excellent perspective, many folks talked about how he has and continues to influence them. It was an absolute blessing to have had the opportunity to have been associated with such a special person.”
Looking back on a life well lived, I think about the things Chuck taught me, without having realized at the time that he was teaching me. First and foremost, love your family. Make the time. Embrace every opportunity you get to share time with them and be committed. Secondly, try to gain some perspective. Whether it’s your personal life or your business life, a fresh perspective provides an opportunity to grow. Looking at things from a different point of view opens the doors to whole new experiences and successes.
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> The buzz about the sold-out 
The 2024 EDS Leadership Summit , initially set for May 13-17 at the Mirage, Las Vegas, Nevada, is relocating to Resorts World Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip. The event will now take place Tuesday, May 21 through Friday, May 24 – one week later than originally planned.
The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is pleased and honored to announce that Dick Neumann, former vice president at Grayhill, Inc., has been named the 2024 recipient of the ERA Lifetime Achievement Award.
> The Representor editorial staff is now accepting 
> With profound sadness, ERA must announce the passing of Chuck Tanzola, CPMR, ERA Board President, and vice president at Fusion Sourcing Group. Chuck served ERA and the industry faithfully and selflessly for many years. He served the past two terms as Chairman of the Board and Board President. ERA knew Chuck as a voice of calm and reason who governed ERA as a thoughtful, fair and sensitive leader. His presence will be greatly missed. 
> The ERA White Pin Internship program is now 
> If you did not have the chance to attend the live STEP 2023 event, but still want to access the event’s valuable educational content, the 
> IMPORTANT 
> A peek back and a look ahead
EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY
Walter Tobin, ERA CEO
by Walter E. Tobin, ERA CEO
My remembrance of Chuck Tanzola is his leadership, friendship and passion to always do the right thing. I would be remiss in not mentioning him and letting you know how much I respected and admired him. He was a man of faith who is an example for all of us to follow. Rest in peace, Chuck. Please read John O’Brien’s article on page 14 for more thoughts on our late president.
Wow! So here we are: 2024 — whew! We got through 2023 relatively unscathed, with a few bruises along the way as a result of ERA helping its members deal with the industry’s toughest issues. Hand-to-hand combat, so to speak. ERA is always trying to help its members move ahead with confidence and unafraid of what lies ahead, to arm them with new tools and new ways of doing things. It is what we do, together!
A peek back
We left Austin in February 2023 after having our first-ever Conference sell-out! What a great testimony to the hard work of our 55 Conference committee volunteers who put on a great show. Our ERA national staff, led by Erin Collins, helped set the tone, “herd the cats,” and put the agenda together for both general sessions and our unique breakout session format. Of course, we thank you, our attendees and sponsors, who made it all possible.
ERA introduced its new ERA SearchLink. ai tool, which is a way for ERA members exclusively to use AI to help find new customers, new markets and new ways of selling. We have all heard a lot about AI during 2023—perhaps too much—but have come up with an amazing tool to empower our members to not just keep up but get ahead of their competition. To date, we have had over 100 ERA members subscribe to the ERA SearchLink.ai tool. Give it a look-see and prepare to be amazed!
ERA announced three ERA Mark Motsinger White Pin Internships! ERA and White Pin continue to assist our manufacturers’ rep members to find and hire summer interns that often lead to the intern joining the rep company upon graduation.
We also introduced the ERA Electronics Components Industry Trends Survey in partnership with Edgewater Research. This confidential survey allows ERA members to provide business conditions information in a secure and confidential manner that gets “marinated” into all of the participating companies and then summarized on our website. This information, a business barometer and market conditions bellwether, is another tool available only to ERA members.
We conducted our third annual ERA STEP training with our exclusive sponsor, the TTI Family of Specialists. We had almost 400 people attend this event, all conducted in a live, virtual format. The feedback on both the content and speaker quality was amazing. Look for announcements on 2024 STEP training scheduled for this fall.
A look ahead
As we look ahead, the global issues facing us can be both daunting and challenging. Wars in the Middle East and in Ukraine present all sorts of opportunities for pessimism and despair. However, ERA remains both optimistic and positive on the economic climate in 2024. When you look at the U.S. unemployment rate being at its lowest point in years, the U.S. dollar being strong and U.S. manufacturing being strong, this all leads us to be bullish on 2024. Is there a recession on the horizon? I am certainly not an economist and read the same tea leaves that you read, but my opinion is that we will NOT head into a recession in 2024. I hope I am right.
The Presidential election also looms—no matter what the result may be, elections always present an opportunity for change. But out of great change and chaos come great opportunity— let’s all keep our eye on the prize here: customer satisfaction.
ERA will co-host the EDS Summit in May and are hoping for another strong turnout. The theme this year is “Stronger Together” which sort of says it all. I hope to see you there! Your ERA membership includes great discounts to register and attend.
ERA will once again exhibit at electronica in November, a huge show and a tremendous opportunity for ERA members to solicit channel partners, reps and manufacturers in our global environment. Our “small but mighty” ERA booth is a beehive of activity, trust me! Come see and help ERA spread the word, and cultivate partnerships for 2024 and beyond.
What is my advice and hope for 2024? Pretty simple: work hard to attain and maintain the role of being a trusted source for your channel partners, manufacturer partners and rep partners, our “three legs of the stool.” All three legs need to be working hard to win the customer, versus just booking the order.
I know that booking orders is important, but who among us has not bowed to the pressure to book the order (perhaps when we may not have been 100 percent sure that we were going to be able to support it) and then have to give it back or fail to meet our promised delivery and pricing…resulting in losing the customer. We lose the customer’s trust, perhaps forever, all to book an order. Short-sighted, for sure.
If you always keep in mind winning and keeping the customer’s trust as your north star, you will end up winning your unfair share of orders. Make 2024 the year of the customer — let’s “energize our customers’ experience!” …I bet that would make a great ERA conference theme!
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