Giving Back Comes Full Circle
Joe Scott’s selfless contributions earn him the 2017 PPAI Distinguished Service Award
by Tina Berres Filipski
Joe Scott is the kind of guy you’d want as your business partner, your trusted confidant, your mentor, your colleague, your neighbor, your friend. His easygoing manner and quiet confidence draw people to him, but his dedication to giving back to help others and his industry make him a standout volunteer on many levels.
Scott, vice president of distributor Scott & Associates, Inc. in Chanhassen, Minnesota, will be recognized with PPAI’s highest honor for volunteerism, the Distinguished Service Award, this month at The PPAI Expo.
Volunteerism is something Scott learned as a boy by watching his mom and dad who were active volunteers in their community. He saw the impact of his parents’ involvement on the lives of others, and he and his brothers benefitted from being included in his parents’ local network. So when Scott was asked to contribute an article to this magazine in 1996, he jumped in with both feet. “I had never done such a thing,” he admits, adding that he accepted the challenge but stressed out about the article. He says he was surprised to see that his article was only lightly edited and published. Since then, he’s gone on to write a number of articles for PPB as well as for other industry and business publications.
Once he discovered how good it felt to contribute, he looked for other ways to get involved. And there were plenty of opportunities for the smart, unflappable Scott, who always kept his promises. He began to share his industry expertise from the podium as an in-demand industry speaker at PPAI, SAGE and regional association shows, and through PPAI webinars. Over the years, he’s also spoken about promotional marketing to high school and college students as a PPAI Advocate presenter.
In 2005 he took his volunteerism to the next level when he was elected to the board of directors for the Upper Midwest Association of Promotional Professionals (UMAPP), an organization for which he served as president in 2010. That year was a busy one for Scott, who runs his full-service promotional agency along with his wife, Katie, and four others, and who was also serving his second of a four-year term on the PPAI board.
Joe Scott, second from right, enjoys some down time with his soccer team, Nations United, for which he plays goalie.
Asked how he strikes a balance between volunteering, operating the business, his family and other obligations, Scott says, “It’s easy to get out of whack when you get into a volunteer mode. The best way I found to strike a balance is to, initially, only volunteer for things that have finite start and stop dates, such as events: you show up at 8 pm, do some things, leave at 10 pm. Things get tricky when you volunteer for committees or a board, which is why it is important to sanity-test the actual time commitment with someone who has done the job.” He adds that mature organizations tend to have fewer time-commitment surprises than start-ups. “When I joined the PPAI board, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, time wise.”
Scott’s service extends beyond the promotional products industry; he’s also served on the board for Buy Chanhassen (a group focused on helping local businesses), the Chanhassen Rotary, the Chanhassen Planning Commission, and as a chief fundraiser and secretary for the house corporation board of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. He’s currently on the board, as treasurer, at Island View Golf Club.
“Joe is a great example of leading by example,” says his nominator, Steven Meyer, MAS, president of supplier RiteLine and a former PPAI board chair who worked with Scott during their PPAI and UMAPP board service. “I considered his comments and shared insights, both public and private, as invaluable to my role at both associations.”
Scott, and his wife and business partner, Katie.
Scott says volunteering has taught him that you can’t fix everything and you can’t help everyone, so you should pick one thing at which you can excel. For others who want to get involved, he recommends choosing an organization in which you are interested, asking for their articles of incorporation, bylaws and tax returns and going to a couple of meetings before you commit. “Finding a volunteer culture that meshes with yours is really important,” he advises. “Take on one challenge at a time and don’t take on more responsibility until you fully understand the time commitment.”
From a business standpoint, Scott is pragmatic about the time, talent and effort he generously shares with carefully selected organizations, but when asked what the PPAI Distinguished Service Award means to him personally, he swallows hard and ponders the question as if he hadn’t really thought about it from that perspective before.
A long-time musician, Scott is shown playing guitar in the 3-Car Garage Band.
“Volunteers are the soul of our Association and those who have come before us still live on via the contributions of their mentees,” he says, carefully. “Every interaction we have with a member in need, no matter how small, has the potential to change a life—both personally and professionally.
“I was surprised—and laughed out loud—when I found out I was nominated. What did I do to be considered?
“It was when I was sent a document showing all of my volunteer activities since 1996 did it dawn on me. I wasn’t aware of how much stuff I had done; it was as natural as breathing. It also dawned on me that none of this would have happened had I not met a certain editor at The PPAI Expo in 1996 who offered me my first volunteer opportunity.”
Tina Berres Filipski is editor of PPB.
