Spring 2024 – Chapter News
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.
CHAPTERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS
At its annual Conference, held Feb. 25–27 in Austin, Texas, ERA announced the Chapters of the Year award recipients for 2023 chapter activities. There were more than 17 entries submitted this year from nine difference chapters (a record!) The awards were based on four categories: education, networking, marketing and special projects.
The award recipients were: Education: Southern California ERA for its virtual event “Explore Your Future with AI Language Models,” featuring speaker Matthew Amato, IBS Electronics. Networking: New England ERA for its young industry professionals networking happy hour in June at SPIN, a ping pong social club in Boston. Marketing: Ohio ERA for its baseball game outing in May to reignite the chapter and recruit additional members to join the Chapter Executive Board and planning committee. Special Projects: Canada ERA for its November to Remember dinner gala in support of Hospital for Sick Children’s toy drive.
Congratulations to all of the recipients and to all the chapters who submitted events for judging!
ARIZONA
Arizona ERA is excited to be hosting its 3rd Annual Golf Tournament on Wednesday, May 29 at Legacy Gold Club in Phoenix. The event is open to reps, distributors, principals, friends and family and the chapter looks forward to a great turnout. The chapter is also working to coordinate a breakfast or lunch event for current nonmembers/ prospective members to present to them the benefits of joining ERA in hopes of gaining new members.
CAROLINAS
Carolinas ERA is gearing up for a busy year ahead! The chapter’s annual DTAM report was presented virtually in March. The chapter would like to extend many thanks to the distributors who take the time and effort to provide their numbers for the report. The chapter will soon be announcing a roster of great topics for its ongoing virtual networking events. Plans are already underway for the chapter’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament in the fall. Stay tuned for more information to come! It will be an exciting year with chapter community!
CHICAGOLAND-WISCONSIN
Chicagoland-Wisconsin ERA hosted back-to-back virtual chapter meetings in February and March to kick off 2024. At both meetings, Bradley Gauthier, CEO and founder of Sitecast, shared his expertise on leveraging ChatGPT and other AI tools to enhance sales processes, drive efficiency and unlock new opportunities. Brad provided a live demo of how to navigate and use ChatGPT as a sales tool. These discussions provided valuable insights and practical takeaways for all attendees ranging from seasoned industrial professionals to those just beginning their journey in the electronics industry. For those interested in seeing what Brad had to share with the chapter, both session recordings are posted on the chapter’s YouTube channel, which can be found at: https://www. youtube.com/@chicagoland_wiera.
EMPIRE STATE
Empire State ERA hosted its annual DTAM and Market Study in March at Del Lago Resort and Casino. The event featured Dennis Reed from Edgewater Research in combination with 20+ years of DTAM data compiled and analyzed by the Empire State chapter team. The event was attended by reps and distributors with interactive discussions on macro-economic trends and impact to the local marketplace. At this event, Empire officers recognized Rick Wray as the outgoing DTAM chair who has been an exemplary steward of this signature event and its value to membership. The event was dedicated to the memory of Chuck Tanzola, long-time Empire Chapter leader and stalwart servant to the local electronics community.
FLORIDA-SUNSHINE
Florida-Sunshine ERA hosted its annual DTAM review meeting in April at Tuscawilla Country Club. The guest speaker was Matthew Amato of IBS Electronics. Matthew presented a session on artificial intelligence and digital marketing. The chapter will follow that with an educational class in May where Matthew will spend an entire hour sharing his expertise. If you care to attend the May event, please reach out to Greg Warren at gwarren@brandel-stephens.com.
INDIANA-KENTUCKY
Indiana-Kentucky ERA hosted a lunch meeting in March. Rolls Royce spoke to chapter members about the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program that is aligned to DoD’s information security requirements for DIB partners. It is designed to enforce protection of sensitive unclassified information that is shared by the Department with its contractors and subcontractors. Many contract manufacturers are certifying to these requirements and in Indianapolis DivAero is complying to Level 2.0.
MICHIGAN
Michigan ERA started hosted coffee meetings and sharing best practices in 2024. This activity is bringing all three legs of the stool together—manufacturers’ reps, manufacturers and distributors— and generating a Michigan electronic components community that clearly wants to give back. The chapter’s previous meetings yielded the primary idea of how it will support local charities while also developing content that will attract customers, next generation contacts from manufacturers’ reps, manufacturers and distributors and industry leaders to underpin its objectives. A chapter event in April focused on a discussion around generating and managing leads through various CRM techniques. The chapter is active and open to anyone wanting to attend. Reach out to matt.cohen@ccelectro.net if your firm is interested in joining the chapter.
MINNESOTA
Minnesota ERA hosted its first in-person event of 2024 on May 1. The event took place at Nine Mile Brewing in Bloomington, Minn., and featured a presentation by special guest speaker, Walter Tobin, CEO of ERA. Walter presented all of the latest updates on ERA National. The chapter members enjoyed having this opportunity to network with fellow industry members and build connections.
OHIO
Ohio ERA hosted a special in-person distributor panel event in mid-April. This event offered attendees a chance to learn more about local distribution partners and best ways to work with them at the customer level. This was a valuable opportunity for chapter members to network and hear directly from local distributors. The panel was comprised of Mark Counts, branch manager at Hughes- Peters, Bill Furey, field sales rep at Arrow Electronics, and Steve Kemer, general sales manager at Future Electronics. The chapter thanks the panelists for sharing their time and insights!
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Northern California ERA hosted its annual kickoff meeting in January at Maggiano’s Restaurant in Santana Row. The annual event set the stage for a year of upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and collaboration. Forty members attended with lively conversations being had. A focus on inclusion and growth of the local chapter was a highlight of our event. As attendees mingled over delicious Italian cuisine, the spirit of camaraderie and enthusiasm filled the air, laying a strong foundation for continued success in the dynamic Northern California electronics landscape.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Southern California ERA kicked off February with a bang, hosting the 2nd annual Rock N’ New Year Social, where they welcomed electronic industry “rockstars” for an evening of networking and celebration. It was truly a night to remember, with record sponsorships and attendance. Attendees joined the event to expand their network, explore career opportunities and unwind with fellow industry enthusiasts while ringing in the New Year. The chapter is thrilled to announce an exciting addition to its event offerings for 2024: The Microsoft Office 365 all access training pass. This pass grants unlimited access to monthly Microsoft Office 365 training for chapter members, ensuring they stay ahead in their skills and productivity. In January, the chapter dove into all Office 365 products available, including a significant update on the phase-out of the traditional Outlook Desktop user experience by the end of 2024. In February the chapter studied the world of Microsoft Teams and learned how to effortlessly schedule meetings, chat with colleagues and make calls. In March, members discovered the file sharing, planner and forms features and other integrations for streamlining productivity. SoCal ERA members should save the date for future Microsoft Office 365 trainings on 6/18, 7/16, 8/27, 9/12, 10/15, 11/19 and 12/12. The topics will be announced closer to the event dates. On June 4, the chapter’s San Diego Social will take place from 5:00-7:30 p.m. PT. This is a free event for those in the electronics industry, due to the event’s amazing sponsors. This is a fantastic chance to connect with members in your local area. Visit www. erascal.org for more information.