PPAI has announced the recipients of its 2027 Icon Awards, which celebrate the accomplishments of those who have gone above and beyond in service to the branded merchandise industry, the Association and their communities.
This year’s honors are being bestowed on:
- PPAI Hall of Fame: Ira Neaman, MAS, and Chuck Fandos, CAS
- PPAI Distinguished Service Award: Tom Goos, MAS
- H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award: David Shultz
PPAI Hall of Fame
Celebrating individuals who have demonstrated monumental and selfless efforts and devotion to the branded merchandise industry, induction into the PPAI Hall of Fame gives permanent recognition to those whose creative spark and tireless dedication have helped the Association and industry prosper.
Ira Neaman, founder and executive chairman of Vantage Apparel, PPAI 100’s No. 14 supplier, has spent nearly five decades shaping the decorated apparel market since launching the company in 1977.
Read More | Vantage Apparel: Always Evolving
Under Neaman’s leadership, Vantage has become one of North America’s largest decorated apparel suppliers, earning 30 consecutive gold PPAI Pyramid Awards for embroidery. The company has also been a mainstay among PPAI’s Greatest Companies To Work For.
Ira Neaman, MAS
PPAI Hall of Fame
Neaman was nominated for the PPAI Hall of Fame by the late Rob Watson, Vantage Apparel’s CEO who died in August.
“Ira’s legacy extends far beyond Vantage,” Watson wrote in the nomination. “He has been a mentor, partner, innovator, and passionate advocate for the promotional products community, helping countless people and businesses succeed along the way.
“Nearly 50 years after founding Vantage, Ira still comes to work every day focused on what’s next. His impact on decorated apparel, the people he has developed, and the industry he has helped advance make Ira Neaman exceptionally deserving of Hall of Fame recognition.”
Rob Watson
Nominator
Beyond his company’s accomplishments and his personal impact on colleagues, Neaman has served on numerous PPAI committees and advisory groups, as well as the Promotional Products Education Foundation’s board of directors.
- Neaman was named ASI Counselor Person of the Year in 2002.
- He served as PPAI Board Chair in 2020, helping guide the Association through the unprecedented disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Ira provided calm, thoughtful and steady leadership while working with fellow volunteer leaders and PPAI staff to help the Association and its members navigate those extraordinary circumstances,” former PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone, who provided support for Neaman’s honor, wrote. “During that period, his personal leadership partnership with me as president and CEO of PPAI was instrumental in helping me navigate difficult decisions with staff, volunteers, membership and our significant industry events. I could not have done it without him.”
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Fandos, a 38-year industry veteran, has built his career around entrepreneurship, mentorship and bringing distributors together to strengthen their businesses.
Fandos co-founded Gateway Promotions in 1988, growing the business into GatewayCDI, which reached approximately $30 million in annual revenue before its sale in 2016. He later helped lead Facilisgroup’s expansion in the United States, building a collaborative network of more than 200 distributor partners.
Chuck Fandos, CAS
PPAI Hall of Fame
An advocate for sharing knowledge and resources, Fandos also co-founded the Legacy Buying Group and served on the PromoStandards board of directors.
- He served on the PPAI Board of Directors from 2013-2015 and has contributed to numerous Association committees and work groups, including those focused on membership, industry branding and strategic foresight.
- He was named ASI Counselor Person of the Year in 2016 and received the publication’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026.
“Chuck has had a very successful career. He’s built businesses, created communities, developed great relationships, and earned a tremendous amount of respect throughout the industry,” said CJ Schmidt, CEO of Hit Promotional Products, in a letter supporting Fandos’ nomination.
Schmidt adds that Fandos’ willingness to help others, whether through mentorship, introductions or personal support, has been just as meaningful as his professional accomplishments.
Dave Saracino of iPROMOTEu, who has known Fandos for 30 years, similarly credits his longtime friend for building not only companies, but careers.
“Chuck Fandos embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that built this industry,” Saracino says. “His willingness to take risks, start over, and build again, successfully, reflects a rare depth of talent and determination.”
PPAI Distinguished Service Award
The PPAI Distinguished Service Award is presented to Association members who consistently contribute their skills and expertise toward the betterment of the organization. Through volunteer service or by offering their leadership to PPAI, these are members who have generously given the gift of their energy, time and enthusiasm.
Goos, the co-founder of PPAI 100 No. 23 distributor Image Source has been a fixture in Association leadership and industry volunteerism for nearly three decades, serving two separate terms on the PPAI Board of Directors, including as Board Chair in 2016.
Tom Goos, MAS
PPAI Distinguished Service Award
Goos’ extensive record of service includes chairing the Government Relations Action Council in 2015 and participating in the Membership Task Force, Strategic Foresight Committee, Leadership Advisory Committee and International Advisory Committee, among other groups.
- He previously served as president of the Northwest Promotional Marketing Association in 2003 and 2004 and spent eight years on its board of directors.
- Goos has also contributed to industry education as a speaker and facilitator at The PPAI Expo, North American Leadership Conference and numerous other events in the United States and abroad.
- Through PPEF, he established the Brian Haner Scholarship in memory of his late business partner and has supported the foundation’s Tomorrow Fund.
What distinguishes Goos is his willingness to continue serving whenever called upon, according to nominator Todd Pottebaum, MAS+, president of Quality Resource Group and recipient of the 2026 PPAI Distinguished Service Award.
“Tom is the kind of person you hope every industry has, but very few actually do,” Pottebaum said. “For close to three decades, he has shown up and done the work.”
Pottebaum also credits Goos’ consistency, noting that he returned to serve a second term on the PPAI Board years after his first: “People trust him. They want him in the room. And he continues to answer the call.”
H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award
Named after the late PPAI president, the H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award is presented to members who have shown long-standing empathy, devotion and commitment to improving quality of life and bringing about change for the betterment of a community.
Shultz, chief partnerships officer at commonsku and a 26-year industry veteran, has devoted much of his career to charitable initiatives that bring the branded merchandise community together in support of causes around the world.
David Shultz
H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award
A founding board member of PromoCares, Shultz helped launch its Water4Good initiative, which has raised more than $300,000 to fund more than 20 water towers in underserved communities, including locations connected to the industry’s global supply chain.
- Shultz personally participated in water tower construction projects in Mexico in 2024 and Vietnam in 2025.
- He also helped launch the PPEF Live Concert Series to support industry education and has served on several PPAI committees and regional association boards.
Outside the industry, Shultz has played a significant role in Kansas City, Missouri’s Big Slick Celebrity Weekend, which has raised more than $35 million for pediatric cancer research and care at Children’s Mercy hospital since its inception in 2010.
His work incorporating branded merchandise into the fundraiser has helped generate some $2 million raised through merchandise over the years.
Shultz also launched Kansas City’s first women-only triathlon, which grew from 100 to 1,000 participants, and has volunteered with organizations including Rose Brooks Center, the ALS Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. His charitable efforts have even included organizing a Mount Kilimanjaro climb to raise money for a women’s shelter.
“Dave Shultz is a rare kind of leader – one who gives generously of his time, talent, and heart,” wrote nominator Mark Graham of commonsku. “His humanitarian impact spans the promotional products industry, his hometown of Kansas City, and communities across the globe.”
Graham credits Shultz with using his creativity, humor and industry relationships to inspire others to participate in philanthropic efforts.
“Dave’s legacy isn’t just the dollars raised or the hours volunteered – it’s the way he brings people together to do good, and how he makes purpose part of everyday work,” Graham said.
