PPAI has announced the slate of candidates for its incoming Board of Directors class, due to serve the promotional products industry’s leading nonprofit trade association from January of 2025 until 2029.
The two-person slate includes Kate Alavez, president of PromoShop – ranked the No. 29 distributor on the PPAI 100 – and Mark Gammon, CEO of Cap America, which is PPAI 100’s No. 18 supplier.
The election to approve the slate begins August 26 and closes August 30. Each PPAI member company’s voting contact is eligible to cast a vote for the slate. Voting will be done electronically, and a new 2024 username and password will be emailed to the voting contacts when voting opens.
A candidate must receive majority approval among votes cast to be named to the board of directors following The PPAI Expo 2025.
The two board seats represent replacements for the expiring terms of Karie Cowden, MAS, founder and president of Connect the Dots Promotions and Kevin Walsh, CAS, president of Showdown Displays.
Alavez and Gammon were nominated to the slate following evaluation by the Leadership Advisory Committee, vetting by the Elected Directors Nominating Committee and ultimately, approval by the sitting PPAI Board of Directors. Each group consists of member volunteers.
About Kate Alavez
When her employer, Diagnostic Products Corporation, was sold to Siemens in 2006, Alavez took a recommendation from a family friend and applied at PromoShop as a Sales Support Assistant. Eventually spending over a decade in human resources, Alavez was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2018 and then President of the Los Angeles-based distributor earlier this year.
Alavez spoke to PPAI Media about the experiences that have prepared her for a potential seat on the Board.
About Mark Gammon
After nearly eight years at distributor The Vernon Company, where Gammon honed his skills in sales management, business development and client relationship-building, the industry veteran joined Cap America in 2018 as Vice President of Sales. He quickly climbed the company ladder, becoming President and COO of the Missouri-based firm less than two years later.
Gammon spoke with PPAI Media about what he’s hoping to bring to the board.
Along with those terms set to expire in January, the PPAI Board of Directors currently includes Regional Relations Committee delegate Kara Keister, MAS, of distributor Social Good Promotions, Dan Pantano of supplier alphabroder, Danny Rosin of distributor Brand Fuel, Chris Anderson of supplier HPG, Denise Taschereau of distributor Fairware, Lori Bauer of distributor iPROMOTEu, Erin Reilly of supplier Pop! Promos, Zack Ottenstein of distributor The Image Group and Board Chair Andrew Spellman, CAS, of supplier Therabody.
