PPAI has promoted four team members into expanded roles, bolstering the Association’s ability to serve its members.
The promotions include Michele Schwartz, CAS, to director of sales; Mason Linn, CAS, to senior manager of communities and strategic partnerships; Kathlene Brethowr to manager of volunteer programs and administration; and Jennifer Honea to technical accounting lead.
“One of the most remarkable things about our industry is its ability to create lasting connections – both in the products we bring to market and through the relationships formed in our community,” says PPAI President and CEO Drew Holmgreen. “For the PPAI staff, it’s vital to create strong, lasting connections with our members. That’s why it’s so exciting to see committed team members rewarded with opportunities to grow in their careers and expand the joy they bring to our work.”
Drew Holmgreen
President & CEO, PPAI
The promotions support several priority initiatives ahead of PPAI, including enhanced community-building plans, continued revenue diversification and operational excellence.
Michele Schwartz, CAS
Director, Sales, PPAI
Schwartz, a 2024 addition to PPAI, previously served as manager of supplier and business services sales, where she played a central role in elevating member engagement and driving revenue across the Association’s programs.
In her new role, she will direct PPAI’s enterprise-wide revenue strategy, overseeing both sales and sales operations.
As part of the senior leadership team, Schwartz will support organizational planning and help cultivate a high-performance, member-focused sales culture.
Mason Linn, CAS
Senior Manager, Community & Strategic Partnerships, PPAI
Linn, a 2023 addition to PPAI, had been the manager of distributor sales. He assumes a significantly expanded role focused on enhancing member engagement, regional relations and strategic partnerships, while also serving as Executive Director of the Promotional Products Education Foundation.
He will lead the development and implementation of PPAI’s upcoming communities framework, which will aim to connect members by their interests and expertise, industry segment and other attributes to enable deeper year-round engagement.
In addition to overseeing PPAI’s membership engagement team, Linn will manage retention strategies, partner with marketing on outreach initiatives, and guide high-value partnerships with other mission-driven groups and associations.
Kathlene Brethowr
Manager, Volunteer Programs & Administration, PPAI
Brethowr, who has been central to operations for both PPAI and PPEF in previous responsibilities since 2018, has been promoted to oversee PPAI Board and governance management, volunteer pipelines and executive-level administrative operations.
Her work will include managing Board logistics, supporting governance compliance, guiding committee operations, coordinating volunteer selection processes and assisting senior leadership with high-level communications.
Brethowr will also lead key employee enrichment initiatives, support event planning for Board and executive functions and oversee budget management for the executive offices.
Jennifer Honea
Technical Accounting Lead, PPAI
Honea, who has served as PPAI’s staff accountant since 2022, will now apply her experience to leading and training the finance team in the accounts payable and receivable areas, and driving initiatives to improve processes and efficiency.
She will continue overseeing the revenue-recognition process and budget/variance reporting, while also supporting month-end procedures, audit deliverables and financial compliance. In addition, Honea will maintain financial oversight of PPEF’s accounts receivable and donation entries.
Her experience with PPAI’s NetSuite integration positions her to collaborate closely with other departments to strengthen workflows and improve data accuracy.
