Spring 2025 – 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.
ERA CHAPTERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS
At its annual Conference, held Feb. 23-25 in Austin, Texas, ERA announced the Chapters of the Year award recipients for 2024 chapter activities. The awards were based on four categories: education, networking, membership and special projects.
The award recipients were:
Education: Florida-Sunshine ERA for its annual DTAM/TAM event for the Florida market, with the second half of the program focusing on AI training
Networking: Mexico ERA for its networking breakfast that featured an economic outlook for the electronics market from economist Jesus Cañas from the Dallas Federal Reserve.
Membership: Ohio ERA for its outing to a minor league baseball game last spring where Mark Counts from Hughes-Peters threw out the first pitch!
Special Projects: Carolinas ERA for its annual DTAM forum, where it collects data from regional distributors, including year over year sales comparisons and other key metrics, and shares this data with the chapter.
Congratulations to all of the recipients and to all of the chapters who submitted events for judging!
ARIZONA
Building on the success of last year’s event, Arizona ERA is hosting its 4th annual golf tournament on May 14 at the Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix. The chapter decided to move it back a few weeks this year to try to keep the temp under 100°F! Last year’s event was a big hit with 74 golfers and around a dozen more who joined us for lunch. Our expectations for the 2025 tournament are higher for golfers, sponsors and for the luncheon & raffle after golf. Thank you to all our repeat sponsors, players (past & new) who have already registered. The chapter appreciates your continued support. We look forward to seeing everyone on May 14.
CAROLINAS
Carolinas ERA was pleased to present its annual DTAM report for 2024 on April 11 to its manufacturing rep and distribution community. Thanks to our participating distributors in providing a unique view of the year-over-year trends as we navigate headwinds in our market.
CHICAGOLAND-WISCONSIN
Chicagoland-Wisconsin ERA is kicking off the summer with two exciting events that you won’t want to miss!
First up, join us for a networking event at Summerfest in Milwaukee on Thurs., June 19. There’s no better way to connect with fellow reps, manufacturers and distributors than over great music and the best summer vibes on the shores of Lake Michigan. Mark your calendar and get ready to mix business with fun!
Then, the chapter is making history with its first-ever Chicagoland-Wisconsin ERA Chapter Golf Outing on Thurs., August 21. Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just looking for a great way to network on the course, this will be an event to remember. Stay tuned for details on location, registration and sponsorship opportunities!
These events are all about strengthening relationships, sharing ideas and having a great time as a chapter. We look forward to seeing you there!
METRO NY
Metro NY ERA hosted a TopGolf networking event on Apr. 30 where reps, distributors, customers and manufacturers came together for friendly TopGolf competition, food and drinks, and ample networking opportunities. Attendees enjoyed a relaxed yet dynamic atmosphere that facilitated making new connections. The event also promoted membership in ERA by showcasing the value of our organization to potential new members.
Coming up next this summer is the Annual Steve Alford Memorial Golf Outing on June 23. This will be the 8th year that Metro NY ERA holds its golf outing at the renowned St. George’s Golf and Country Club. This event brings together reps, distributors, manufacturers and customers. Participants will enjoy a networking breakfast, an outstanding round of golf and a three-hour cocktail party, in addition to aiding a great cause. Proceeds from this event will support Long Island Cares, exhibiting our chapter’s dedication to giving back to the community.
NEW ENGLAND
The New England ERA is excited to announce its 5th Annual Golf Tournament on Thurs., October 2 at the Four Oaks Country Club in Dracut, Mass. This industry event is open to reps, distributors, manufacturers, friends and family. Please join us for lunch and a fun-filled day on the greens, followed by an awards dinner. Stay tuned for more details regarding registration and sponsorship opportunities. Please contact Sue Burke at sue.burke@ttiinc.com or Maryellen Stack at mstack@sager.com with any questions.
PACIFIC-NORTHWEST ERA
Pacific Northwest ERA held a winter meeting with the NEDME Show group in February at the Golden Valley Brewery. The NEDME Show was started by ERA members in 2001 to have a local show every year when the NORTHCON Show was in Seattle. The NORTHCON Show ended shortly thereafter so the NEDME Show continued each year.
The picture to the right shows an award given to Ruth Connor who was the show manager for about 10 years and promoted the show to reach an attendance of about 1,000 people, including attendees and exhibitors. Kelly Atay is the manager of the NEDME Show on the left and Mike Foresee is the assistant manager on the right.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The Office 365 All Access Pass is back—and we’re thrilled to extend the invitation to all ERA chapters! These monthly interactive trainings continue to deliver surprising insights into tools and features within Office 365 that help streamline workflows and boost productivity. This exclusive ERA member-only benefit includes significantly discounted access to ongoing sessions. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to equip your team with practical, time-saving skills!
In April, the chapter held a Virtual National Conference Recap recap session for members where it shared top takeaways, trends and insights from the ERA National Conference in February. At the end of April, SoCal ERA hosted a booth at the Del Mar Electronics Show where it displayed ERA member logos and directed traffic to member booths.
Southern California ERA announces these events for 2025 at a glance:
• May 29 – San Diego Social at Pure Brewery, Vista. Open to the entire electronics industry, and free, thanks to our amazing sponsors. Help us spread the word!
• Sept. 8 – Annual Golf Tournament at Alta Vista Golf Course, benefitting Operation Homefront. Note the new location and earlier date!
• Sept. 24–25 – Anaheim Electronic Manufacturing Show. We’ll be there promoting ERA members—stop by to see your logos in action and connect with fellow attendees.
• Oct. 9 – 20th Annual Sagebrush Social, Calabasas. Can you believe it’s been 20 years? Join us for this free, sponsor-supported celebration.
• Nov. 6 – Year-End Economic Outlook. Wrap up the year with expert insights to help you plan for 2026.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
. 
Northern California ERA held its annual kick-off meeting on February 20 at Dave & Buster’s in Milpitas, Calif. With over 40 attendees, Chapter President Elisia Triantos recapped 2024 and outlined the chapter’s goals and activities for 2025. Chapter Treasurer Renee Ruzsa also presented the approved budget. The chapter proudly awarded the Lebell-Logan Award to Ben Barden of Westech, recognizing his outstanding service to the local chapter. Congratulations to Ben!