PPAI Welcomes Wehrle, David and Cohen To The Association’s Board Of Directors
In October, PPAI announced the results of its 2015 Board of Directors election, welcoming new members Perry Wehrle, president of distributor PAW Marketing, Inc., and Brittany David, vice president of sales at supplier SnugZ USA. In addition, Larry Cohen, president and CEO of Axis Promotions, was appointed to the PPAI Board of Directors as at-large director with full voting rights. The new board members and at-large director will begin their terms immediately following The PPAI Expo 2016. Wehrle and David will serve four-year terms, while Cohen’s term is for two years.
The board of directors is the governing body for PPAI and plays a major role in directing its strategic activities, adopting policies and approving budgets to carry out the work of the Association. The trio participated in a new board member orientation program at PPAI Headquarters in November. PPB spoke with the new board members about their qualifications and goals for their terms on the PPAI board.
Perry Wehrle
Throughout his more than 35 years in the promotional products industry, Wehrle has been 
PPB: Why do you want to serve on the PPAI Board?
Wehrle: As I built my business up for the past 25-plus years I always felt the need and desire to give back; give back to the only industry that I have ever worked in … give back to others so that they too can become successful and grow, and hopefully so they too can give back in the future. I want to share my knowledge and leadership with others in an effort to keep our industry strong and growing.
PPB: What unique strengths and experiences do you bring to the PPAI board?
Wehrle: Early on, I worked in our family supplier business, and then for 25-plus years as a distributor. I have a deep understanding of the needs of the suppliers as well as what is required to be a successful distributor. Through my life experiences of the good, bad and the ugly, I have been able to continue on the path to build a solid distributorship, and it is these skill sets which I will bring with me to the PPAI board.
PPB: What would you like to accomplish during your board term?
Wehrle: I personally feel that our greatest strength is education. PPAI has been and is doing a tremendous job in providing education to our members on so many levels. There are daily opportunities through webinars or seminars at regional shows, and The PPAI Expo is packed with prospects to further one’s personal growth with education, speakers, networking occasions and so many other chances to build knowledge. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that most of this is at little or no charge to the individual. This is truly one of the biggest benefits of being a member of PPAI. As a board member I will work toward continuing the education through communication.
PPB: Are there any industry challenges or issues that you’d like to see renewed focus on?
Wehrle: Our industry has to work hard to prevent outside influences from breaking apart our traditional business model which supports the supply chain as we know it. I see a greater threat from manufacturers (outside of PPAI) that want to eliminate the supplier and distributor, and go to the end user directly. These temptations are a wakeup call to all of us that we need to be the best we can so that outsiders don’t have the opportunity to infiltrate the marketplace.
Suppliers will need to present the distributors with innovation in products, design and imprint capabilities. Stocking issues should be pushed hard so to minimize the voids which occur. Distributors will need to increase their depth of services so that the client will never be tempted by others. Look to see what other opportunities are left on the table so that the client will never feel the need to look elsewhere. We all need to take an active role to protect what we have and understand that we need to be flexible and be willing to accept change as we move forward.
Brittany David
David has worked in the promotional products industry for the past nine years and has participated in a number of the Association’s committees and events. She was a panelist at 
PPB: Why do you want to serve on the PPAI Board?
David: Getting involved and giving back are things that have always been a part of my life. Service is in my heart. My parents taught me at a very young age how important it is to give back. From service projects in Girl Scouts, to visiting retirement homes, it was always good times with friends doing good things for others. I spent much of my extracurricular time in college mentoring incoming freshmen and participating in fundraisers and events for a battered women’s shelter, and I was very involved at the executive level in a safe ride/designated driver program called CARPOOL. Throughout the years I have continued to give back. Currently I am involved in the SnugZ GiveZ community service committee. It has been an awesome opportunity to not only give back to the community but spend quality time with coworkers across our company.
The landscape of the industry is changing as a result of how readily available information is on the internet. This is an important time to get involved and see what I can offer and bring to the table. I love this industry and the people in it, and I want to make a positive impact to help maintain and propel a healthy, strong and thriving association.
PPB: What unique strengths and experiences do you bring to the PPAI board?
David: I started my industry career at SAGE Quick Technologies as the event coordinator and eventually moved into the SAGE TMS manager role, managing MAPPS, SAGE Showcase and the PPAF and then SACDV Expos. Five years later, I moved to Utah to join SnugZ USA as the national accounts manager and am now the vice president of sales. The knowledge I have gained from both companies, our customers and other supplier colleagues has helped me get where I am today.
One area where I would be a great asset to the board is to serve as the face and mind of a new generation. We have identified this new generation of buyers and buying habits as a challenge that we must adapt to in order to keep our industry strong, healthy and moving forward. I am that generation and have nearly a decade of experience in this industry. I am eager to participate, listen and lead. Hard work and dedication don’t change from generation to generation. They are either something that is instilled in your work ethic or something that is not. I am eager, engaged, excited and willing to work hard to keep us moving forward.
PPB: What would you like to accomplish during your board term?
David: I think having an “agenda” coming into this process would be short sighted of me. There is much to learn and much to catch up on before I dig in and find my way. Ultimately, I want to provide value and make a positive impact for our industry. There are many new challenges we face that I think we can focus on to keep our industry strong and relevant.
PPB: Are there any industry challenges or issues that you’d like to see renewed focus on?
David: It’s just like they say, what got you here won’t get you there. We used to be able to take pride in the fact that we were a hidden industry and it was difficult for end buyers to find a source for their promotional products. If we continue to be hidden, other industries/companies will be able to tell consumers where to go to get branded merchandise and deliver their own message. With the internet making information and ordering extremely accessible, we will be in a world of hurt if we don’t deliver the message and establish ourselves.
Another huge challenge ahead of us is the new generation of buyers and buying habits that are changing the way we do business. I am that dreaded “M” word—a Millennial. I grew up learning how to multiply from Number Munchers on seemingly the first computer, playing Oregon Trail in the classroom, having a pager in high school, and I was on Facebook when it actually required a college email address to participate. Technology isn’t something I learned—it is something I grew up with. Technology is a challenge that we haven’t embraced as quickly as we should have, which has allowed outside entities and disruptive business models—such as Amazon—to creep into our space. I know that PPAI is already working on some initiatives to keep us propelling forward and I look forward to contributing to those efforts.
Larry Cohen
Cohen was selected for the at-large director seat from a field of distributors, suppliers, multiline reps, business services members, international suppliers and international 
PPB: Why do you want to serve on the PPAI Board?
Cohen: There are times in life when you reach a point where you realize that much of your success has been built on the support of others and that it is important to give back. For me, I feel like this is my time. One of my mentors in the industry was Janelle Nevins, who was a legend and one of the most giving people I’ve ever met. Janelle loved this industry and was so involved. She always used to say to me that I should get more involved in PPAI and should think about running for the board. I did not totally take her seriously all those years ago but, as I’ve matured, I have come to recognize all the good things that PPAI does. I truly want to contribute to the industry’s growth and success. I feel honored to be part of the board and am excited that I can continue to build on the efforts of people like Janelle.
PPB: What unique strengths and experiences do you bring to the PPAI board?
Cohen: I am one of those people who is both right-brained and left-brained. After college, I attended an Ivy League law school and worked as a lawyer for a couple of years. This training continues to help me analyze situations from numerous vantage points and clearly assess strengths and weaknesses. I’m also a great problem solver. On the other hand, I am very creative and love coming up with new and unique ideas to help build our company and to help our clients build their brands.
I recognized very early on that the perception of our industry (trinkets and trash, tchotchkes, etc.) was not commensurate with the potential impact our industry could have on corporate branding and marketing. One of the core concepts we strongly emphasize to our team members and our clients is the need for a clear strategy before selecting a branded promotional item.
I also recognized that product safety and compliance was going to be a huge issue in our industry. As a result, we formed an in-house compliance department almost 10 years ago. I think this is something that every supplier and distributor needs to come to address as soon as possible. Axis has been very involved at the board level in this matter.
PPB: What would you like to accomplish during your board term?
Cohen: There are three key areas that I would like to work on while on the board.
1. Perception – I still believe that our industry has a long way to go to get the respect that is due. All the research indicates how effective promotional products can be if used properly and strategically. Nevertheless, our products and services are often not perceived in the same way as other marketing vehicles. I know PPAI has been working hard on this effort. I believe I can contribute significantly in this area as Axis has direct experience working with many of the larger advertising agencies and their clients. A corollary to this is the need to get everyone who works in our industry to understand the real benefits and to modify how they discuss these benefits with their clients. The long-term success of our companies and our industry is going to be based upon our ability to get our clients to view us as strategic partners as opposed to product sellers.
2. Compliance – This is a critical area that is still evolving. I applaud the efforts of PPAI and hope to bring some of our knowledge and experience as a distributor on the forefront of this area to others in the industry.
3. Recruitment – This is an amazing industry that has so much to offer. I can’t think of many industries where the potential list of prospects is unlimited and the options of what you can sell them is huge and continues to evolve every day. We have to do a better job of exposing people to this unique industry and to attract the next generation of marketers. We also need to do a much better job of attracting minorities to our industry.
PPB: Are there any industry challenges or issues that you’d like to see renewed focus on?
Cohen: Technology is changing how we do just about everything. I would like to see PPAI explore the impact technology—analytics, digital, social—will have on our industry and how end users market their brands and purchase promotional products.
