Dan Pantano, president and CEO of supplier alphabroder|Prime Line, and Joshua White, head of strategy for distributor BAMKO, are set to become the newest members of the PPAI Board of Directors after being elected in a week-long voting process. Voting officially ended midnight Tuesday, September 6.
The voting process was reduced to one week this year so that the incoming board members would have more time for onboarding before being instated to the board in January 2023. Each PPAI member’s company voting contact was eligible to cast a vote on the decision to elect Pantano and White after their nomination to this year’s slate. Said nomination was decided by the Leadership Advisory Committee, vetting by the Elected Directors Nominating Committee and final approval by the sitting PPAI Board of Directors.
Both candidates received over 85% of the vote to approve them as Board members.
The two industry veterans will begin their tenure in January of 2023 until 2027. Pantano and White will replace the expiring terms of R. Renee Jones, founder and CEO of A Creative Touch, and David Nicholson, vice chairman of PCNA.
Pantano joined alphabroder|Prime Line as its president in 2013. Prior to getting into the promo industry, he spent 20 years working for Baxter Healthcare, McKesson and Thermo Fisher Scientific, all Fortune 500 companies. Upon joining the company, he led the commercial side of the business and played an integral role in multiple corporate acquisitions. He added the CEO position to his title in the spring of 2021.
“It’s a great honor to be elected to the PPAI Board,” Pantano says. “I am very excited to get started by listening to members to understand their needs and the challenges we face in this very dynamic environment. My goal is to help ensure that PPAI is focused on the most important issues so we can help the industry grow and prosper.”
White has been with BAMKO since 2013, during which time the company has grown from around $20 million in annual sales to over $300 million. He is a former PPB Rising Star award winner. Prior to entering the promotional products industry, White was an attorney in private practice. As head of strategy at BAMKO, he focuses on the long-term initiatives that contribute to BAMKO’s top line revenue growth, including key partnerships, sales and marketing strategy and execution, talent acquisitions and a number of other company focuses.
“I am humbled and honored to be entrusted with responsibility of protecting and promoting the interests of the Association’s membership,” White says. “The moment is large and the opportunity to make important progress is substantial. I intend to give PPAI my absolute best, listening to our members intently and working tirelessly to do everything we can to help them thrive. I can’t wait to get started.”
The two new PPAI Board members will join Chis Anderson of supplier HPG, Denise Taschereau of distributor Fairware, Melissa Ralston of supplier Koozie Group, Noah Lapine of distributor Lapine Associates, Andrew Spellman of supplier Therabody, Kevin Walsh, CAS, of supplier Showdown Displays and current Board Chair Dawn Olds, MAS+, of distributor HALO.
Another new addition to the board, Kara Keister of distributor Social Good Promotions was appointed as the Regional Relations Committee delegate earlier this month, filling the unexpired term of Lindsey Davis, set to conclude in January 2023.
Immediate Past Chair Todd Pottebaum, MAS+, president of distributor Quality Resource Group, will roll off the board in January, and Olds will move to the position of immediate past chair, with Walsh assuming the role of board chair and Spellman becoming the incoming chair. Taschereau will take the role of vice chair, finance services.
