Chapter News reports the local activities of the 22 chapters of ERA.
The chapters sponsor educational and training workshops, local trade shows, legislative and industry projects to enhance the professionalism of individual members and to advance the goals and mission of the national association.
Congratulations, ERA Chapters of the Year!
Three ERA chapters have been selected as the Chapters of the Year for their 2014 activities and projects. The award recipients and their entries, by category, are:
- Education – SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA for its panel presentation and discussion program titled “Health Care: The Affordable Care Act and Your Rep Firm Employer-Employee Mandate, Compliance and Options;”
- Membership and Member Services – CHICAGOLAND-WISCONSIN for conducting a half-day chapter strategic planning workshop with ERA Association President Bob Terwall as moderator;
- Marketing Services – NEW YORK for its program featuring Tom Wichert of TDK-Lambda Americas speaking on “How to Deal Efficiently with Japanese Companies and the Effects of Globalized Pricing on Distributors and Reps;” and
- Special Projects – SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA for its Second Annual Charity Golf Tournament that benefited Operation Homefront.
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Each award recipient receives a full-tuition scholarship to ERA’s Chapter Officers Leadership Training (COLT) program. The Chapter of the Year judges, who reviewed all 14 entries and selected award recipients, are: ERA Senior Vice President/Membership Robert Logan, CPMR; ERA National Delegates Matt Cohen, CPMR (Michigan), John O’ Brien, CPMR (New England) and Richard Shor (Chesapeake); plus ERA CEO Tom Shanahan and Association President Bob Terwall. The Chapter of the Year program is coordinated by Bob Evans, CPMR, chair of ERA’s Chapter Leadership Council.
ARIZONA
A chapter meeting is planned in late May to recap EDS 2015. Members will also review the recent SBLC (Small Business Legislative Council) reports and discuss the Arizona business environment, including results for the first half of 2015 and second-half projections.
CAROLINAS
The 19th Annual Carolinas ERA Distributor/Rep Bowling Tournament and Fundraiser was slated on April 16. The chapter has also held networking breakfasts in January and March in Raleigh as well as in February and early April in Charlotte.
Kimberly Hermoso-Hurst and John King
In early March, Carolinas hosted its annual Rep-Distributor Forum at which the 2014 territory DTAM report was released. Also during the forum, DTAM project coordinators John King and Kimberly Hermoso-Hurst reported on the results of recent surveys of reps and distributors regarding their working relationships.
Another highlight of the forum was the awarding of the chapter’s annual scholarships. Three college students, who are dependents of ERA member rep firm personnel or DTAM-project-participating distributor employees, each received $1,000 grants.
At the recent Carolinas ERA Rep-Distributor Forum, the chapter recognized John King of Battleship Technologies for his management of the DTAM reporting project for the past 17 years and Kimberly Hermoso-Hurst for her assistance with DTAM data collection as the chapter’s liaison with territory distributors.
CHICAGOLAND – WISCONSIN
More than 100 tickets have already been sold for Chicagoland-Wisconsin’s fourth annual Cubs-Brewers baseball game outing in mid-August at a Wrigley Field rooftop venue. The chapter recently elected a new board director, Rick LaPiana of Cain-Forlaw Co., and re-elected these four incumbent directors: Joe Braun of EK Associates; Kingsland Coombs, CPMR, CSP, of Control Sales; Ron Riesinger of Synmark Sales; and Ron Rutkowski of Control Sales.
EMPIRE STATE
The chapter has held monthly breakfast or lunch networking events since January, and its annual Rep-Distributor Forum was slated in early April. New officers were recently elected for the 2015-17 term. They are: president – Jim Gleason of The Frank J. Muto Co.; VP/fiscal and legal – Julie Baker of GMA; VP/programming – Scott Caliel of Leonard D. Allen, Inc.; national delegate – Dave Dasson, CPMR, CSP, of Net Sales Co., and director-at-large – Rick Wray of Empire Technical Associates.
FLORIDA – SUNSHINE
Florida-Sunshine ERA has a new CPMR (Certified Professional Manufacturers’ Representative) among its members. Pat Walsh of CBX Electronics, who is the chapter’s national delegate to the ERA Board, completed the three-year program in January. The chapter’s annual Rep-Distributor Forum, at which its 2014 DTAM report will be released, is scheduled in mid-April in Orlando. Once again, the DTAM report is being created and will be presented by Barry Farber of HHP Associates.
MICHIGAN
Michigan ERA has reported that its investment in a regular ad in The Representor is paying off with contacts from manufacturers seeking new reps. The chapter’s national delegate, Matt Cohen, CPMR, of CC Electro, says that the cost of the ads is “worth way more” than the annual cost of membership for any one rep firm.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
After the successful 54th Annual Electronic Industry Charity Event, held in December, plans are already underway for the 2015 event on Dec. 2. This fundraiser benefits the Lucile Packard and Oakland Children’s Hospitals.
OHIO
Ohio members came together for a luncheon event in mid-March in Cincinnati. The program, “Outlook and Opportunities,” featured a financial advisor and CPA discussing the U.S. economic outlook, a stock market overview, international investing news and upcoming tax law changes.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The chapter’s late April program is titled “Electronic Components – Market Trends” and will feature guest speaker Ed Smith, president of Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. Recent events included a February presentation on rep law issues with attorney Clay Taylor and an economic update in March by Chapman University economics professor Dr. Esmael Adibi.
SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS
Spirit members heard a March presentation on succession planning by guest speaker John Vrablic of T.I.P.S. 4 Reps. Chapter board members have closed the books on another successful Electronics, Electrical, Engineering and Manufacturing Show. The 2014 show sold out all 60+ exhibit booths.