Supplier Board of Governors Elects Officers, New Member

Members of the Supplier Board of Governors elected Steve Kertesz to a one-year term as chairman during the board’s meeting in Clearwater last week.

Kertesz, business development manager at Ingersoll Tillage Group, succeeds Jim Parsons as chairman.

Kertesz said that among priorities for the Supplier Board of Governors will be to:

• Help build a stronger purchasing track at the Association’s meetings and attract purchasing managers;

• Manage costs and add value to Spring Conference events;

• Support the Association and its work to build its regular membership base.

Kertesz said suppliers soon will
implement a strategy in which they talk with their customers outside of the Association about the value of membership in the Association.

Parsons, senior vice president at Myers Spring, will remain on the board. He said events such as the Clearwater Crawl and the fishing excursion at the Spring Conference are examples of the suppliers’ work to think creatively about ways to cultivate relationships with regular members and provide new opportunities to hear their challenges and offer solutions.

“We have a dedicated group of people whose focus is to make the organization better by listening to its regular members,” Parsons said.

As chairman, Parsons also worked to further promote a culture of service and longevity among suppliers.

“We have great bench strength, which is so important,” he said. “So many people went before us. They’ve done a great job plowing the fields. We’re planting seeds. Someone else will come behind us and water it.”

Other officers for 2015/2016 are:

• Vice Chair Jamie Silver, post-production director, Muir Omni Graphics

• Secretary Jon Sherrod, Bondioli & Pavesi, Inc.

• Treasurer Joe Sampson, vice president of sales, Osmundson Mfg. Co.

Members of the Supplier Section also elected Marc Adams, sales/marketing manager at GBGI, to the Board of Governors. Completing his service is Terry Flanary, vice president of sales and marketing, at National Tube Supply.  S