PPAI has named 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 2026 until 2030.
The two-person slate includes Joseph Sommer, founder and CEO of Whitestone – ranked the No. 34 distributor on the 2025 PPAI 100 – and Bruce Barnet, chief operating officer of Charles River Apparel, which is PPAI 100’s No. 39 supplier for 2025.
Sommer and Barnet 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.
The election to approve the slate begins August 25 and closes August 29. Each PPAI member company’s voting contact is eligible to cast an up-or-down vote for the candidates. Voting will be done electronically, and a new 2025 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 2026.
- The two board seats represent replacements for the expiring terms of Andrew Spellman, CAS, of Therabody; and Chris Anderson of HPG.
Also set to roll off the board in January is Lori Bauer of iPROMOTEu, who had served in the Board’s at-large seat, a two-year appointment.
To fill the slot, the Board has appointed Samantha Kates, president of Quebec-headquartered Spector. Her two-year term will begin in January 2026 and expire in January 2028. Spector ranked as the No. 18 supplier in the 2025 PPAI 100.
About Joseph Sommer
Joseph Sommer
Founder & CEO, Whitestone
Since launching the fully remote branded merchandise agency from his one-bedroom Manhattan apartment in 2013, Sommer has grown Whitestone into an award-winning global firm with more than 75 employees across four countries and a client roster that includes some of the world’s most influential brands.
Under his leadership, Whitestone has expanded through strategic acquisitions in the U.S. and Canada, achieved over 400% growth since 2020, and launched the RISE Initiative – an ambitious sustainability program that includes 1% for the Planet membership, EcoVadis certification, and science-based emissions reduction targets.
A “classic entrepreneur,” Sommer is no stranger to deep consideration of the industry among fellow leaders. His annual “meeting of the minds” in Las Vegas has become one of promo’s most anticipated gatherings for sharing experiences.
About Bruce Barnet
Bruce Barnet
Chief Operating Officer, Charles River Apparel
Since joining Charles River Apparel 13 years ago – first as CFO and now as COO – Barnet has been instrumental in driving strategic growth, operational advancement and brand development.
During his tenure, the company has worked to streamline internal operations, expand its global supply chain, embrace sustainability, implement transformative technologies and develop a positive culture rooted in giving back through its social impact initiative, Charles River Cares.
With more than 30 years of experience in financial and operational leadership, Barnet has held executive roles in both privately held and publicly traded companies across a variety of industries. He also founded and sold a supply chain business that served promotional products clients and branded merchandise buyers.
About Samantha Kates
Samantha Kates
President, Spector
Kates oversees sales, customer service, marketing and product development at Spector. A seasoned executive with a passion for driving transformation, building high-performing teams and elevating brand experiences, she oversees sales, customer service, marketing and product development.
With more than two decades in the promotional products industry, she has held senior leadership roles at suppliers, distributors and business platforms, including Charles River Apparel, iPROMOTEu and commonsku.
She joined Spector in 2022 as chief sales officer and was promoted to president in 2024.
The PPAI Board of Directors
Along with those directors whose terms are 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 S&S Activewear, Danny Rosin of distributor Brand Fuel, Erin Reilly of supplier Pop! Promos, Zack Ottenstein of distributor The Image Group, Kate Alavez of distributor PromoShop and supplier representative Mark Gammon. Denise Taschereau of distributor Fairware serves as Board Chair.
