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GCLA President Mo Garkani of The COTS Group
Hayward, Calif. — The Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) reports a solid turnout for its first meeting of the year, held January 28 at the Northern California MCI Sales & Service Center. The evening meeting was sponsored by BMW, as well as Century Business Solutions, Chosen Payments, and MCCOY Auto Brokers.
The evening meeting delivered an array of educational opportunities, from a tour of MCI’s Hayward facility to state- and association-specific updates to a lecture on how labor laws affect the chauffeured ground transportation industry.
An up-close look at MCI’s motorcoach service center allowed the group to get a peek at the builder’s luxury coaches and learn more about the company itself before everyone reconvened for dinner.
After opening remarks from GCLA President Mo Garkani of The COTS Group, attendees also heard from the association’s lobbyist Gregg Cook of Government Affairs Consulting and Legislative Co-Chair David Kinney of API Global Transportation. The two provided updates from California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as well as reminded everyone of the importance of participating in and supporting GCLA’s Day on the Hill in Sacramento, which is scheduled for March 11 this year.
With the passage of Assembly Bill 5 (AB5)—itself a testament to the statewide reform that’s possible when the industry uses its voice and unifies behind a dedicated cause—underscoring the need for additional conversations about labor laws and practices, GCLA hosted a lawyer-facilitated discussion about not only AB5 but also wage and hour, gratuities, and workers’ compensation. Joseph Lordan of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith was on hand to lend his clarifying remarks to the various topics.
GCLA’s next event will be its March 11 Day on the Hill in Sacramento. All California operators are invited to walk the halls to advocate for the state’s luxury ground transportation industry.
Visit gcla.org for more information.
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LANJ President Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide
Princeton, N.J. — On January 29, the Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) kicked off the new year with a meeting at NJHA Conference & Event Center. CD President & Publisher Chris Weiss and Business Development Manager Jeff Ranking were among the 70 members and guests who came from all across the country for the luncheon meeting.
LANJ President Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide started off the meeting by welcoming the attendees, and ratifying the 2020 officers and Board of Directors.
President: Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide
First Vice President: Tim Rose of T. Rose Ventures
Second Vice President: Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments
Secretary: Karen Gajda of Country Club Transportation
Treasurer: Barry Trabb of Complete Fleet Livery Sales
L to R: Brett Barenholtz of Above All/Boston Car, CD Publisher Chris Weiss, and Barry Trabb of Complete Fleet Livery Sales
Directors: Anthony Azara of Avalon Chauffeured Services, Shady Azer of Concorde Worldwide, Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments, Pete Corelli of Lakeview Custom Coach, Johnny Donohue of the Philadelphia Regional Limousine Association (honorary), Sam Emam of BBZ Limousine & Livery Service, Jay Erlich of Europe Limousine Service, Bill Faeth of Limo University, Karen Gajda of Country Club Transportation, Howard Gogel of My Limousine Service, Joe Gulino of Gem Limousine Worldwide, Mike Marroccoli of The Capacity Group, John Maziarz of Arrive in Style Transportation, Brian O’Neill of Grech Motors, Tim Rose of T. Rose Ventures, David Seelinger of Empire CLS, Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide, Christian Stochholm of New Jersey Limo Finder, Barry Trabb of Complete Fleet Livery Sales, Chris Weiss of Chauffeur Driven, and Jonathan Wilner of A. Harrington Limousine Service.
New Board members include Jay Erlich, Bill Faeth, and Mike Marrocoli, the latter being spontaneously nominated and approved during the meeting.
L to R: CD Business Development Manager Jeff Rafkin, Lucy Berrito of Royale Limousine, and Bruce Cirlin of Complete Fleet Livery Sales
After the Board announcement, Sharenow welcomed a series of speakers to the meeting. First, Jessica Maarek of Red Root Marketing and Suzanne Bugge of A Focused Advantage took the stage to speaking about the Be Driven Safely campaign, which is designed to educate consumers and travelers about the risks involved when using ridesharing apps and services. Maarek and Brugge also shared valuable online and social media-driven marketing strategies with the membership. Next, Frank Villares from Options Plus discussed the supplemental health insurance offered by his company, and the benefit to association members who already have primary health care coverage. A client of Options Plus, Sharehow advocated their services and shared how he personally saved a great deal of money with their services. Finally, Weiss was welcomed to the podium to speak about February’s CD/NLA Show in Las Vegas. He touched upon the education and networking options available, as well as the value prop of what’s included with each registration—namely, the extensive food and drink provided to attendees.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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NLA Executive Director Kyle Hammerschmidt Las Vegas — When the first-ever CD/NLA Show lands in Las Vegas at the end of the month, it will include three association meetings on its packed four-day agenda. You can read more about the inaugural meeting of the European Passenger Transportation Association here.
During the show, which runs from February 23-26 at Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort, Vegas will be February host a members-only meeting of the National Limousine Association (NLA) as well as an open meeting of the Florida Limousine Association (FLA).
The February 24 NLA meeting will run from 9:45-11:15 a.m., and is sponsored by Chosen Payments & National Interstate Insurance.
With 2020 being a banner year for the national association, the NLA’s kickoff event for its 35th year will feature a walk down memory lane that celebrates the individuals who have been among its longtime members and early supporters. You’ll also get to hear about the upcoming projects and initiatives it has in store for the industry in the year to come directly from NLA leaders themselves.
Additionally, Cornerstone Government Affairs, the NLA’s lobbying team, will not only provide a report on what they’re seeing in Washington, D.C., but also discuss what to expect in 2020 leading up to the election and the association’s Day on the Hill scheduled for June 9-10.
FLA President Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service
“The NLA encourages you to come to the meeting, ask questions, and get involved with your association,” said NLA Executive Director Kyle Hammerschmidt.
And then on February 25, the FLA will have an open-to-all meeting from 3:30-4:30 p.m., held on the show floor in the Shoreline Exhibit Hall. As Florida operators have just put Super Bowl LIV in Miami behind them, FLA President Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service will have a wrap-up report on how the state’s operators handled such a high-volume—and high-profile—event. And with the CD/NLA Show’s East Coast iteration coming to Orlando’s Gaylord Palms from October 11-14, there’s sure to be a conversation about how not only the FLA but also the Greater Orlando Limousine, Central Florida Livery, and West Florida Livery associations will all be welcoming the industry back to The Sunshine State.
You can also expect to hear about Florida’s regulatory landscape and how echoes of other state’s legislation are impacting operators in the southeast U.S. And with Versace also serving as co-chair of the Congress of Association Leaders, he’ll share with meeting-goers the highlights from February 23’s Association Summit.
Visit limo.org and floridalimousine.com to learn more about the NLA and FLA, respectively.
Visit cdnlashow.com for more information.
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