At its 2019 annual meeting on February 5, the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC) elected new board members and a slate of officers. The mission of the SBLC, of which PPAI® is a member, is twofold: to make improvements in public policy for small business and to help member associations in their communications with business members.
SBLC directors serve staggered three-year terms. Incoming board members include:
Nancy Cueroni, Outdoor Power Equipment Aftermarket Association and National Marine Distributors Association
Georgia Foley, Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association
Mario Giamberardino, National Electrical Contractors Association
Jackie King, Secondary Materials and Recycled Textile Association
Steve King, American Pet Products Association
Roy Littlefield, III, Tire Industry Association
Paul Merski, Independent Community Bankers Association
Gerard Murphy, Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association
The slate of officers elected are:
Corey Rosenbusch, Global Cold Chain Alliance: Chairperson
Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI: Chair-Elect
Rob Underwood, Petroleum Marketers Association of America: Treasurer
Outgoing chair Jackie King was honored with the SBLC’s Distinguished Service Award. King was praised for the many changes that she successfully implemented while serving as Chair last year.
At the meeting, Rosenbusch laid out the SBLC’s priorities for 2019. These include working with Congress and the relevant agencies to solve the labor shortage crisis for small businesses, to make tax reform work for small business, to improve the nation’s infrastructure, rural development and trade opportunities, and to bring stability and affordability to the health care system.
Speakers at the event included SBLC member Paul Merski, who gave a snapshot of the economic environment for small businesses and an overview of the new Congress. Congressman Dan Meuser (R – PA) also joined the meeting and discussed his business background and the challenges he faced as Pennsylvania’s secretary of revenue. He also set forth several initiatives he would like to see this year in Congress. Finally, SBLC President, Paula Calimafde, discussed recent legislative bills, including a House bill on Social Security, dueling estate tax bills just introduced in the Senate, recent retirement plan legislation and the problems small businesses are encountering with the new 20 percent deduction for pass-through entities (199A), and how this provision should be improved so that it will work better for all small businesses. She also briefly discussed some of the UBIT issues that are arising for tax exempt entities from the recent Tax Cuts bill.
