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ILLBA Executive Director/Secretary/Treasurer Paula DeBiasi of Chicago Coachworks Downers Grove, Ill. — The Illinois Limousine & Bus Association (ILLBA) has started off 2020 with its first open board meeting teleconference January 8 and a new member meeting this morning.
The January 8 conference call included the ILLBA board, members, and vendors discussing what Executive Director/Secretary/Treasurer Paula DeBiasi of Chicago Coachworks called “an awfully big agenda.” Among those items were introducing exit interviews with members who choose not to renew for the year, reaching out to long-lapsed members, more events to bring the association together, and a new membership campaign.
“That’s going to be a strategic plan with certain member targets, one of them being our one-car operators,” DeBiasi explained. “We’re offering a reduced membership to reach those one-car independent operators in the region.”
The exit interview “is an idea the board really liked,” which DeBiasi described as a more in-depth way to understand how ILLBA can serve its membership even better.
“We’ll still reach out and say ‘We saw that you didn’t renew—is there something more you need?’ But we think that a pen-and-paper exit interview is better because they might not want to talk about what’s bothering them,” she said. “This gives them an opportunity to communicate with us, to really think about what they feel is missing, and not put them on the spot.”
With board elections coming up, the association recently nominated ILLBA Director Scott Delheimer of Class Act Limousine as Election Chair of the Nominating Committee.
“We have five open Director seats out of 10,” said DeBiasi. “We elect the Directors, and then the Directors elect the officers.”
This morning’s meeting gave the association an opportunity to introduce itself and its objectives to ILLBA’s new and potential members during a quarterly event that aims to make sure everyone knows their voice matters, no matter their company size or longevity with the association, during an intimate event that fosters the very relationship the industry and all of its associations thrive on.
“I’ve come to love these smaller meetings and the difference they can make,” DeBiasi said. “They really let our members make connections and be seen in ways they don’t always get at larger events.”
Up next for ILLBA is its February 5 open board meeting. Its spring new membership meeting will be April 14.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
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NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation
Marlton, N.J. — With a new year and a new decade comes a new milestone for the National Limousine Association (NLA): The voice of the worldwide chauffeured transportation industry celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.
To mark this celebratory occasion, the association is debuting its anniversary logo today, and has plenty more in store for the year to come.
“The NLA has been a pillar of our industry for the past three and half decades, providing our members with education, advocacy, and support,” said President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation. “Just as the industry has evolved over the years, the NLA has seen its fair share of growth and change as well. It has been an honor to be a part of the NLA’s latest chapter, and I am looking forward to seeing what this new era brings to the NLA and its members.”
One of its earliest 2020 offerings will be an in-person membership meeting at the first-ever CD/NLA Show in Las Vegas (held at the beautiful Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino from February 23-26). The meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 24, from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m. and will be graciously sponsored by National Interstate Insurance.
The NLA officially unveils its 35th anniversary logo today
At the meeting, you can expect to hear about what the NLA has been up to and its plans for the next year, directly from the mouths of NLA leaders. Additionally, Cornerstone Government Affairs, the NLA’s lobbying team, will not only report on what is happening in Washington, D.C., but also discuss what to expect in 2020 leading up to the election.
“The NLA encourages you to come to the meeting, ask questions, and get involved with your association,” said NLA Executive Director Kyle Hammerschmidt.
In an event full of firsts, the CD/NLA Las Vegas Show will also see Buffo presenting the first-ever President’s Award during Tuesday night’s Awards Dinner & Charity Event, and you won’t want to miss it!
“With a new show on the horizon and the constant addition of new programs and initiatives, there is no better time to celebrate this milestone anniversary,” Buffo said. “Congratulations on an incredible 35 years to all NLA members!”
Visit limo.org for more information.
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Michelle Wiltgen
Al Hutchinson
Jodi Merritt
Luke Busskohl
Scott Henry
Omaha, Neb. — The American Bus Association (ABA) is proud to announce the election of new members joining its Board of Directors. The results were announced during the association’s Annual Meeting at its Marketplace in Omaha, Neb.
Joining the Board of Directors for a three-year term are:
- Luke Busskohl, COO, Arrow Stage Lines in Omaha, Neb.
- Scott Henry, Chairman, Martz Group/Martz Trailways in Wilkes Barre, Pa.
- Jodi Merritt, President, H & L Charter Company in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
- Michelle Wiltgen, Assistant Vice President & National Marketing Manager, National Interstate Insurance in Lake Worth, Fla.
Also joining the Board of Directors for a one-year term is:
- Al Hutchinson, President & CEO, Visit Baltimore in Baltimore, Md.
Linda Spruill
Steve Haddad
Chris Anuzuoni
The ABA Board also thanked retiring board members for their service to ABA. Those members were:
- Chris Anzuoni, Vice President, Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Company in Plymouth, Mass.
- Steve Haddad, Bieber Transportation Group in Kutztown, Pa.
- Linda Spruill, Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss.
Visit buses.org and marketplace.buses.org for more information.
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