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It was the first meeting since the new board was elected at the association’s holiday party in December:
President: Wendy Kleefisch of Brevard Executive Limousine
Vice President: Greg Palie of GNS Transportation
Treasurer: Barbara White of VIP Transportation Group
Secretary: Ginette Morales of VIP Transportation Group
Vendor Director: Ryan Hilberth of RentalLimo/book.limo
Directors: Gregg Moulton of Signature Transportation Group and Moe Sajjad of Alladin Tours
As construction and economic growth continue on Terminal 3 at Port Canaveral—one of the world’s busiest cruise ports—Kleefisch feels it’s important to keep the association updated on its progress. She invited John Lynch, the new manager of ground transportation at Canaveral Port Authority, to speak at the meeting.
“I want to make sure we stay in communication with him because it’s important for the association to know about the whole new terminal they’re building and to keep them informed of any changes, especially with TNCs,” she said. “John brought an aerial map to show us where the terminal is going, as well as souvenir maps we can all hang in our offices and brochures listing all the current ships and their schedules. We know there’ll be three more ships coming, which means we could be servicing over 350,000 people between the import/export and passengers.”
She added that members’ reactions to Lynch and the information he shared was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing excitement about the new and detailed information they can share with their clients.
“They’re going to be taking that information and using it to better their businesses,” Kleefisch said.
More internally focused were conversations about CFLA’s plans for its immediate future. The association will be holding its first-ever poker tournament on April 26, which has already garnered a few sponsors and will double as a fundraiser for the Women’s and Children’s Center. The association is also going forward with its annual canned-food drive, Cans for a Cause, in May.
At the end of the meeting, members presented Kleefisch with a plaque in recognition of her dedication to the association and her leadership as its president.
“I was so surprised and honored that they did that, since I feel like I should be giving all of them plaques for helping our association succeed,” Kleefisch said.
The next CFLA meeting will be February 13 at Super Shuttle’s facility.
Visit cfla.org for more information.
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The December 5 elections yielded new officers for the 2018 GCLA board of directors:
President: Mo Garkani of Continental Limousine
1st Vice President: Harry Dhillon of Ecko Transportation Worldwide
2nd Vice President: Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments
Secretary: Darren Croasdale of La Costa Limousine
Treasurer: David Kinney of API Global Transportation
The mix of incumbent and first-time directors include Selim Aslan of Men In Black Transportation, Perry Barin of MusicExpress, Maurice Brewster of Mosaic Global Transportation, Carlos Garcia of Carlos Transportation, Robert Gaskill of Motev, Phil Hartz of Acton SoCal Penske Professional Vehicles, and Chris Hundley of The Limousine Connection.
“We are hoping the momentum from this huge event and our new board will carry us on to great things in 2018,” said GCLA Executive Director Tom Garrett.
The Southern California event also hosted its annual live and silent auctions, the association’s biggest fundraising event of the year, which helps the GCLA continue its lobbying efforts on behalf of the local industry. With Brodsly and Mary Johnson leading the auction, the roughly 200 attendees helped raise more than $30,000.
Among the items auctioned off were passes to Chauffeur Driven’s 2018 events: Harry Dhillon of Ecko Transportation Worldwide won a pass to the Executive Retreat in San Diego, while two passes for the Chauffeur Driven Show at the Gaylord National went to Robert Gaskill of Motev.
The Napa event was an evening to remember in its own right, with a bevy of vehicles on display for attendees to check out, plenty of chances to mingle with industry peers, and even an educational component when California Highway Patrol provided clarity on its upcoming regulations governing modified limousines that will be put in place January 1.
Visit gcla.org for more information.
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The meeting began with plenty of networking and mingling during a cocktail hour that kicked off the evening before NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi began the meeting portion of the winter quarterly event. He recognized President Mike Callahan of Able Limousine—one of only three presidents the association has operated under during its storied history—for his work to keep NELA an effective voice and advocate for chauffeured ground transportation, as well as the evening's sponsors who made the "night that's more about having a good time together than doing business" possible.
Szilagyi also called out the especially active members whose support has yielded the successes that NELA has helped bring about for New England operators: "You need to know that a few companies and members have been carrying this association: Scott Solombrino, Dawson Rutter, Mark Mollica, Andy Tighe, Tami Saccoccio, Brett Barenholtz, and Kevin Cronin have all done so much to support NELA."
Solombrino then took to the podium to discuss the National Limousine Association's (NLA's) biggest victory since the passage of the Ride Act nearly 10 years ago: Striking down a proposed tax measure that would create a haven of sorts for TNCs at the exclusion of more rule-abiding livery operators, further titling the playing field in TNCs' favor. He went on to explain how the next 12 months' biggest fight will actually not be against the same enemy but rather driverless vehicles.
"Autonomous cars could put 20 million people out of work," Solombrino said. "We have the high ground, and we are prepared to go to every district with displaced workers and fight. We need to prove that workers come first and technology comes second."
For nearly two decades, NELA hosts its annual George Colarullo Memorial Golf Tournament, a fundraiser co-chaired by both Callahan and that benefits both the association and a number of charities that hold personal significance to various members. This past August, the yearly golf outing raised $6,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, while Rutter donated an additional $5,000 on behalf of Commonwealth Worldwide. Rutter, Saccoccio, and Callahan presented the two checks totaling $11,000 to the foundation's Executive Director Pam Simms Spitzer and Senior Development Director Karen Kelly.
"Your donations are helping people with cystic fibrosis," Simms told those in attendance. "And your generosity is helping so many children breathe easier."
There were plenty of chances for attendees to walk away with a little extra holiday spirit, and an array of gift baskets and prizes were given away during the meeting. Maccar raffled off a pass to the 2018 Chauffeur Driven Executive Retreat in San Diego, which was won by Commonwealth Worldwide's Saccoccio.
A performance by comedian and impressionist Joey Voices capped off the evening, treating meeting-goers to a little audience participation and decades' worth of musical hits in a medley of well-known hits performed in the likes of the artists who popularized them.
The next NELA meeting will be March 6.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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