Mitch-Rhodus-Board-Candidate

Voting has begun for the PPAI Board of Directors Class of 2021 and will run through September 19. During the election, PPB Newslink is speaking with each of the four candidates to learn more about them and their goals, beginning with Mitch Rhodus, CAS, of HALO Branded Solutions (UPIC: HBS).

“To me it’s all about building value and giving back,” says Rhodus, “building the value of PPAI so that distributors and suppliers come to us to be a part of the PPAI movement. I want to give back to the associations that have been so good for my professional development in the industry.”

Rhodus is president of WIT Promotions, a HALO Branded Solutions distributor. A long-time industry volunteer, he has served on PPAI’s Government Relations Advisory Committee (GRAC) and on the board of his regional association, the Tri-State Promotional Professional Association (TSPPA). In addition to his industry work, he volunteers with several community organizations including Rotary Club, Fairfield Christian Leaders, the YMCA and Boy Scouts of America. He also leads an annual trip to Haiti with medical personnel and non-medical volunteers to deliver medicine and services. Rhodus’ non-industry work experience includes time at GE and Procter & Gamble. He and his wife, Lois, have two children—Brad and Katie—and twin grandchildren.

Speaking about some of the pressure points on which he’d like to devote the Association’s attention, Rhodus says, “The look of our Industry has changed a lot in the past 10 years. Technology products and safety requirements have never played a more important role in our product selection process. Leading the industry in product safety, and educating Millennials on the value of the ‘personal contact’ with a client, rather than entirely over the internet, is so important to long-term business development.”

The election will be administered electronically by a third-party election administrator and by paper ballot as required, with the results announced in early October. Visit the PPAI voter site at www.ppai.org/election2016 to learn more about the distributor and supplier candidates. The designated voter in each PPAI member company can cast their ballots here. To find out who the voting contact is for your company, the password or other questions, contact Anne Stone at AnneS@ppai.org or 972-258-3041, or Veronica Kelley at VeronicaK@ppai.org or 972-258-3077.