American Rental Association elects new leaders
Bibbo named ARA president-elect; five new directors join ARA board.
The American Rental Association (ARA) reports that general members have elected John Bibbo, CERP, as the new president-elect for the association.
Bibbo is president, Event Source/Panache Party Rental, Cleveland. He most recently served as the ARA Party and Event Services Shared Interest Group (SIG) chair, 2014-2017 and was a member of the SIG in 2008-2009. He also was a member of the ARA Executive Committee for 2016-2017. “It is truly an amazing opportunity to be selected by my peers in an industry that I have learned everything I know from the past leaders of this association. Now I get the opportunity to help the next generation of rental professionals take our industry to the next level. My goal as an officer is to ensure we continue to build on the strength of the association. With new leadership, we need to take advantage of new technologies that we use to deliver products and services as an association, eliminate programs that are not used, and streamline the offerings with valuable and productive services that serve all members at all levels,” he says.
When Bibbo becomes ARA president-elect at the conclusion of The Rental Show 2018 in New Orleans, Kevin Hoffman, owner and president of A to Z RentAll and Sales/Event Essentials, Madison, Wisconsin, will become ARA president. Mark Gilbertson, president of Fargo RentAll, Fargo, North Dakota, and ARA president, assumes the position of ARA board chair. Roger Vajgrt, owner of Home Rental Center & Sales, Marshalltown, Iowa, and ARA’s current board chair, will complete his ARA board service.
ARA general and associate members have elected Alex Kouzmanoff, CERP, of Aztec Tents in Torrance, California as Associate Member director. He succeeds Sam Humphrey, president, Mi-T-M Corp., Peosta, Iowa. Kouzmanoff currently serves as an ARA Foundation Trustee and was a member of ARA’s Party and Event Services SIG in 2012-2013 and the Events & Tents Task Force in 2004-2006. “I was excited to hear that I would be able to serve as an Associate Member director on the ARA board and I look forward to working with the board on shaping the future of the rental industry in North America. I am excited to be able to serve the associate members of this organization with a fresh voice and enthusiasm to help create meaningful change and carrying on the progress that my predecessors have made. I very much look forward to spending more time focused on The Rental Show as the premier marketplace for products in the event and equipment rental industries,” he says.
Terry St.Martin has been elected ARA’s Region Six director. She will succeed Rachel O’Brien, president, J&F Reddy Rents, St. Louis Park, Minn. St.Martin is co-owner and secretary of Broadway Rental Equipment Co. and general manager of Broadway Party & Tent Rental, Brooklyn Park, Minn. St.Martin has been secretary of ARA of Minnesota since 1998 and served on ARA’s Party Council before it was changed to the Party and Event Services SIG.“It’s very humbling to think that my thoughts and opinions are of value to others in the industry. What an honor it is to be voted by my peers and those that have helped me in so many ways. I want to bring the advantages I’ve received of being an active member of the ARA of Minnesota to more people. Without the help of them, my business wouldn’t be where it is today. I hope to help more members of the ARA feel the same way, understanding the advantages of working with the association,” she says.
Barbara Bown Wyatt has been elected ARA’s Region Seven director. She will succeed Mark Clawson, president, Diamond Rental, Salt Lake City. Bown Wyatt is executive director of Butler Rents, Glendale, Colo. Wyatt has served the ARA of Colorado in several capacities, including president since 2014. She was a member of the 2017 ARA Government Affairs Committee and served on the Events & Tents Task Force in 2014-2015. “I am flattered that I was considered to run for Region Seven director and that my fellow rental peers voted me in. The big plan for Region Seven is to keep engagement up, since only two states in the region have active state associations. We want to make sure people know all the beneifts of ARA and how much it can help them. The association truly does work for us,” she says.
Michael McDaniel was elected Region Eight director. He succeeds Greg Nelson, branch manager, Pro Rentals & Sales, Boise, Idaho. McDaniel is co-owner of Ideal Rent-All, Mount Vernon, Washington. He is currently vice president of ARA of Washington and a member of ARA’s Young Professionals Network. “I am thankful and appreciative of those who believe in me. I am ready for the new challenges ahead and will strive to work collaboratively with other board members. I want to continue to promote the equipment rental industry and what a wonderful business it is to work in as well as work on other initiatives, such as creating an alert system to identify bad renters that can be reported via a website, so that ARA members can access the information,” he says.
Jill Holtsman, CERP, was elected ARA’s Region 10 director. She succeeds James Morden, president, Rentshop, Alliston, Ontario, Canada. Holtsman is a partner in Hub City Display & Event Rentals, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. She served as a member of the ARA Party and Event Services SIG in 2017 and as national Saskatchewan director of the Canadian Rental Association (CRA) in 2014-2017. “My reaction to being elected as Region 10 director were three emotions and they came in the following order — surprise, nervousness and excitement. My first and foremost goal is to bring awareness to the Region 10 members as to what programs and services are available through ARA. Quite often you get into a conversation with a fellow ARA member and they are not aware of what their membership can do for them. My second objective would be to listen to members and see if ARA can help with common problems,” she says.
Kevin Hoffman, current president-elect, who will assume the office of president at the conclusion of The Rental Show in February 2018, has named Steve Mau to the board position of Construction/Industrial Services Shared Interest Group chair to represent the ARA member segment for a three-year term. Mau is president of Brainerd General Rental, Brainerd, Minnesota, and an ARA member since 1994.
Hoffman also has appointed two current ARA board members to serve for a one-year term on the 2018-2019 Executive Committee. Appointed to serve are Dan Hooks, CERP, Party and Event Services SIG, and John Wooten, General Tool and Equipment Services SIG. Hooks, who has served on the ARA board of directors since March, is president of Party Reflections, Charlotte, North Carolina. Wooten has served on the board of directors since 2016 and is CEO of All Star Rents, Fairfield, Calif. Hooks and Wooten will join Hoffman and John Bibbo, CERP, who will become ARA president-elect, on the Executive Committee, along with Gilbertson, current president, who assumes the board chair position at the conclusion of the 2018 show.
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