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Ecko Director of Affiliate Management Treanna Lopez-Maddox
Ecko Transportation Group, based on San Jose, California, has announced that Treanna Lopez-Maddox has recently been appointed to the position of director of affiliate management. Maddox began her career in the industry in 2009 at The Limousine Scene in Bakersfield, Calif., where she served as the administrative assistant to company owner and industry veteran Jim Luff.
By 2014, Maddox was promoted to the position of Assistant General Manager and remained in that position until 2017. Maddox will be responsible for marketing, public relations, corporate communications, and the continued partnership between Ecko Worldwide and industry affiliates. She will also be responsible for developing Ecko’s affiliate network for both inbound and outbound work and represent the company at regional and national events and meetings.
Maddox has previously served as director of operations for Limousine Scene where she was responsible for all aspects of chauffeur hiring and training, vehicle safety, maintenance, and customer relations. In addition to her professional career, Maddox has served on the boards of several nonprofit groups and is a chief planner and coordinator for fundraising events.
“We are very excited to add Treanna to our team. Her vast knowledge of the industry is a great asset for our company,” says Ecko President Harry Dhillon.
Visit eckolimo.com for more information.
[06.20.22]
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A reinvigorated Long Island Limousine Association (LILA) conducted its spring membership meeting on May 25 at the Holiday Inn Plainview. Despite being held during the busy prom season, forty members and guests attended the meeting. In addition to a presentation from CPA Firm Gettry Marcus, the event also served as an opportunity for the organization to elect a new board of directors.
The 2021 LILA Board of Directors are:
President: Tom Gouldsbury of Azure Limousines
1st Vice President: Charlie Gandolfo of Dynasty Limousine
2nd Vice President: Jim Powers of All Star Limousines
Treasurer: William Vedro of Friendly Transportation
Secretary: David Laschever of Winston Transportation
Sergeant at Arms: Michael Laschever of Winston Transportation
Director: Jim Powers Jr. of Star Touch Luxury Transportation
Director: Doug Schwartz of Executive Limousine
Safety Director: Joseph Marotta of Whitmore Group
LILA Director Doug Schwartz of Executive Ground Transportation
“Our meeting’s theme was built around employee retention tax credit,” says Board Member Douglas Schwartz of Executive Ground Transportation. “We had a Zoom with Gettry Marcus to educate members to take advantage of that situation because there’s a lot of money on the table.”
LILA membership meeting held on May 25
In short, the Employee Retention Credit is a fully refundable tax credit for employers equal to 50 percent of qualified wages (including allocable qualified health plan expenses) that Eligible Employers pay their employees. This Employee Retention Credit applies to qualified wages paid after March 12, 2020, and before January 1, 2021. The maximum amount of qualified wages taken into account with respect to each employee for all calendar quarters is $10,000, so that the maximum credit for an eligible employer for qualified wages paid to any employee is $5,000.
In addition to the presentation, the board also discussed the current state of the economy and its effect on the industry. The meeting also provided excellent networking opportunities for the members.
“A lot of operators got to meet people they never met before,” says Schwartz. “We’re in a forward motion situation, and we’re going to be good moving into the future. We look forward to growing the association.”
The next LILA meeting is the association’s annual barbecue social event planned for August (date TBD).
Visit lilimoassociation.com for more information.
[06.20.22]
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The US Travel Association is reporting that nearly 4,800 attendees participated in the recent IPW 2022, which took place in Orlando, Florida, this past June 4-8. The annual event connects travel companies and organizations from across the industry—hotels, attractions, sports teams, cruise lines, airlines, and transportation companies—with buyers from around the world.
UTA President & CEO Roger Dow addresses attendees at the IPW 2022 in Orlando
The association, which has been working diligently to urge the Biden administration to overturn the COVID-era pre-departure testing requirement for inbound vaccinated travelers to the US received the good news during the event that the mandate was being lifted as of June 12. The US was among the last major countries to drop the mandate, and associations across the industry have noted the serious impact it has had on the recovery of tourism to the US. Canada, following the lead of the US, also paused the random COVID testing among its vaccinated travelers, although it is expected to return in July.
USTA President & CEO Roger Dow is encouraged by the news, and shared an updated international travel forecast during the convention in light of the change. The international travel forecast now projects that international arrivals and spending will fully recover to 2019 levels by 2025, but the US could gain an additional 5.4 million visitors and $9 billion in spending by the end of 2022 with the removal of the pre-departure testing.
Dow, who is stepping down from the association this year, was also encouraged by the number of attendees from across the world who joined the Florida conference, even before the mandate was lifted.
“This IPW is sending a message that the US is open for business and eager to welcome travelers from around the world,” said Dow. “We are taking a huge step forward here to bring back international travel, restore jobs, and re-establish the bonds that connect our countries and cultures.”
In 2023, IPW heads to San Antonio, Texas—a first for the association—for its 54th annual conference May 20-24.
Visit ustravel.org or ipw.com for more information.
[06.15.22]