Chapter News
Chapter of the Year awards to be announced at the ERA Conference, Feb. 24-26, 2019
ERA’s Chapter Leadership Council has announced that the Chapter of the Year awards for 2018 activities are being submitted and judged in mid-February.
The awards will be announced at the ERA Conference on Feb. 24-26, 2019. Each Chapter of the Year award recipient will be recognized in ERA publications and on the ERA website. In addition, each award recipient receives a full tuition scholarship to the COLT (Chapter Officers Leadership Training) program, and the award can be used in 2019 or 2020.
The Chapter of the Year awards are given annually to chapters that go above and beyond in providing meaningful and successful chapter programs and events. The awards are based on four categories; Education, Membership, Marketing Services and Special Projects. An award is given to a chapter for each category.
ARIZONA
Arizona ERA hosted its first annual Sonoran Technology Show at the Hilton Phoenix Chandler on Dec. 6, 2018. The chapter noted that having distribution members sponsor and participate in the event added a very positive dynamic to the show.
CAROLINAS
Carolinas ERA (CERA) announced that Peter Flores, TTI general manager in Raleigh, N.C., completed ERA’s Chapter Officer Leadership Training (COLT) program in November and returned with some excellent ideas for the chapter.
In October, CERA hosted the 15th Annual Dick Paden Memorial Golf Outing to raise awareness and funds for CERA scholarships and the American Diabetes Association. The chapter also conducted its annual Board of Directors meeting on Nov. 8.
Upcoming chapter events include the bimonthly breakfast meetings, the annual DTAM event and a cyber security expert to speak to chapter members in the spring. Details to come soon.
CHICAGOLAND – WISCONSIN
Chicagoland-Wisconsin ERA hosted a breakfast event in October called “Lie to Me: The Science Behind Hidden Emotions” featuring guest speaker Dan Seidman, CEO and founder of Got Influence.
On Dec. 6, the chapter also held a charitable Holiday Happy Hour at an ale house in Schaumburg, Ill. Complimentary beverages and appetizers were provided to all members who brought a toy for Toys for Tots. As a result, the chapter donated more than 30 toys to the organization.
EMPIRE STATE
Empire ERA held an annual Holiday Luncheon at Champion Hills Golf Club in Victor, N.Y., on Dec. 7. Chaired by Laura Senn-Sanborn of Senntec, the event was an open social for reps and distributors and featured a raffle for entry into the 2019 Golf Tournament. It was also a celebration of chapter growth in membership and new additions to the Board of Directors who have been active in content, event planning and positioning the chapter for the future.
MID-LANTIC
The chapter hosted its holiday event on Dec. 12 at St. Davids Golf Club where members had the opportunity to socialize and catch up.
METRO NEW YORK
The Metro New York Chapter held a fall dinner event on “The New Tax Code and Its Implications.”
NEW ENGLAND
In November, the chapter held its holiday party at Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, Mass. Attendees were encouraged to bring along a non-perishable food donation to donate to a local food pantry.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
In November, Northern California ERA hosted a tour of Jabil’s Blue Sky Center facility located in San Jose, Calif., followed by a dinner meeting.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Rocky Mountain ERA held a chapter dinner event featuring guest speaker ERA CEO Walter Tobin on Jan. 29. Tobin reported on industry trends and provided an update on ERA’s initiatives in 2019.
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER
The chapter held a networking lunch event in Houston in November. Bill Gilmer, director at the University of Houston Bauer Institute for Regional Forecasting, delivered a presentation on the greater Houston area/Gulf Coast business climate and how the energy market, national economy and the global economy influence the regional economy.
SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS
Spirit of St. Louis ERA elected new officers for the 2019-2020 term. The chapter has tailored its organization after ERA National’s membership to include distributors, manufacturers’ representatives and a manufacturer as officers. Membership has grown from 16 to 30 members. The chapter is currently reviewing its 1998 by-laws and voting to replace with current by-laws.
The chapter also held an annual golf tournament in the fall. It welcomed guest speaker ERA CEO Walter Tobin to the fall chapter meeting. Tobin provided insights on the future organization initiatives. Tobin’s enthusiasm and humor were welcomed by the largest chapter audience in over 10 years, which is a testament to all of the hard work of Walter and the ERA staff.
Spirit of St. Louis ERA also thanks Rich Sartori of Centech for the great job of running the chapter for the past two years.