Anthony Arrington is from Cedar Rapids, IA. He received his BA in Communication Studies from The University of Iowa and is a Certified Diversity Executive. Anthony started his talent acquisition industry career as a recruiter and account manager at his local branch for a global staffing firm. He then spent several years working in higher education fundraising, leading and consulting on contact center operations and direct mail strategies. He co-authored the book “Phonathon Manager’s Handbook”, a comprehensive guide to leading effective college/university fundraising call centers, which includes an entire chapter on recruiting strategies. Anthony returned to the talent acquisition industry later in his career, helping start a local recruiting agency in 2006, then working in talent acquisition for a global aerospace company and a global staffing agency before launching his own business.

Currently, Anthony is a Managing Partner at Top RANK in Cedar Rapids, a firm that provides professional and executive talent acquisition solutions, as well as equity, diversity, inclusion, and engagement (EDI&E) consulting and education. Having experienced intersectional barriers as a Black man living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a double amputee, and a father in a biracial family, Anthony is on a journey to help transform organizations into those that will not just “talk about it”, but will “be about it” when it comes championing EDI&E.

Anthony lives in Cedar Rapids with his wife and their two dogs. He is the co-host of Diversity Straight Up, a podcast launched in fall of 2019 by the regions premier business journal. He is very involved in his community, serving on multiple non-profit boards and committees. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, sports, and is a huge Hip Hop music fan—spending lots of time in his recording studio.

Brittany David, MAS is the Chief Revenue Officer at SnugZ USA collaborating with the sales, marketing and product development teams. She is a 15 year veteran of the promotional products industry and has been with SnugZ for ten years. David is an advocate for the industry and has just completed a five-year term on the PPAI Board of Directors, serving as Chairperson in 2019. As a proven and driven leader she serves on many advisory groups and committees. David is a PPAI Fellow and most recently selected as the Supplier Visionary award and listed on the ASI Power 50 most influential people in the industry listed alongside President & CEO Brandon Mackay. Her creative firepower and engaging personality has landed her on Counselor Magazine's Hot List and she has been a panelist, guest speaker and keynote for many industry events. Among her other accolades, she was listed a Rising Star for both PPAI and PromoMarketing.

Chad Dziedzic, Director, is a Market Leader covering the Core Market in North Texas. He works with Financial Advisors and their clients to design and implement investment solutions and processes aimed at improving long-term performance.
In his current role, Chad educates Financial Advisors on the benefits of BlackRock products and solutions within the broader context of portfolio construction.
Chad has presented the BlackRock Social Security Seminar more than 1200 times to educate Financial Advisors, their clients, and COIs.
In 2020, Chad delivered, in partnership with Financial Advisors, over 300 end-client webinars aimed to educate clients on macro events, their impact on markets, and the importance of staying invested.
He joined BlackRock in 2011 after 10 years at Invesco Ltd, where he worked as a Regional Vice President and Internal Wholesaler.
Chad earned his bachelor’s degree in business management with a concentration in Finance and Marketing from the University of Houston, where he was also a member of the baseball team.
In his free time, Chad enjoys coaching and playing sports with his kids and traveling with his family. Raised in the Houston area, he currently resides in Frisco with his wife, Lena, and their two children.

With 15 years of experience in the industry working for several promotional products distributors, Jessica Gibbons-Rauch, CAS, brings a bizarre love of product and curiosity for the “why.” Easily able to talk about the breadth of products, she always asks the tough questions to figure out the purpose behind the campaign—this and her love for marketing create a passion that comes through on each project. Looking for a creative outlet after taking a bet on her own sanity, she founded the Trend on Brand community and searches for other promo Misfits! Jessica is also chef – editorial content for PromoKitchen and a part-time adjunct professor for Northern Illinois University.

Jo-an Lantz, MAS, is president/CEO of Geiger and a member of the Board of Directors. She represents Geiger as the sole U.S. member of the international group WAGE (World Advertising Gift Exchange), a more than 50-year-old organization with 26 members from 25 countries, where she is a past president She has served in a variety of roles for groups and associations, including as former chair of the Board of Directors of PPAI, and serving on the PPEF Board twice, once as chair. Jo-an was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame in 2009, is a former ASI International Person of the Year (2004) and a member of ASI Power 50, and was named the 2014 PPB Woman of Distinction. Jo-an is passionate about leadership and development and is one of the founders of the PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference, as well as a member of Senator Olympia Snow Foundation for developing leadership in young women. She also works with a number of nonprofits to develop training and fundraisers for endurance events.

Kate Alavez is the chief operating officer at PromoShop, Inc., where she is responsible for people operations, human resources and logistics. On a mission to reimagine the relationship between employees and their employers, she is focused on creating outside-the-box solutions to business challenges and creating synergies between team members as a means to a happier workplace.

Before taking on her role as COO, Kate worked as a director of human resources and operations, gaining experience in infrastructure build and employment law. She has been a strong supporter of community efforts and has served on the boards of the Specialty Advertising Association of California, the Foundation Board—a 501(c)(3) benefitting students of specialty advertising industry members—and The El Segundo Nursery School Group. Her passion for service and leadership began to bloom in her undergraduate years at Loyola Marymount University, where she studied English, worked on the Los Angeles Loyolan and served in leadership roles for Sigma Tau Delta and Kappa Alpha Theta.

Paula is President of CE Competitive Edge LLC, one of the largest promotional firms in America with headquarters in Stevensville, Michigan. CE is also a certified Woman-Owned Business and was the first to be certified by WBENC in the promotional products industry on the West side of Michigan. Competitive Edge offers its clients a collection of promotional products with an emphasis on quality and value, and has consistently been named one of the “Top 50 Places to Work in the Promotional Products Industry.”

Paula has 30 years of marketing, sales, operations and general management experience in both international and entrepreneurial organizations. She strives to be an active leader in the Southwest Michigan community currently serving on the Board and Executive Committee of United Federal Credit Union and The Education Investment Team for United Way of Southwest Michigan. Paula has a degree in Marketing from Western Michigan University. She and her husband Tom live in Stevensville and have two grown children, Jillian and Nick.

Roni S. Wright is the vice president of supplier The Book Company based in Delray Beach, Florida and was inducted into PPAI's Hall of Fame in 2020. To excel in her career, find balance in her life, and cultivate joy, Roni has found a love of all aspects of yoga. She achieved her 200-hour certification and has journeyed to India twice to study at the renowned K. Pattabhi Jois Institute. When you do not find Roni on her mat or at her desk, you might find her hiking, skiing, or reading a book.