Stevensville's Mary Jo Tomasini continues to soar to new heights within her industry, assuming the role of Chair of the Board at the world's largest and oldest not-for-profit association serving more than 13,900 corporate members of the $20-plus billion promotional products industry. That's an industry comprised of more than 33,700 businesses and a workforce of more than half-a-million professionals across the globe.
Tomasini who is CEO of CE Competitive Edge on Red Arrow Highway in Stevensville, is a more than 30-year veteran of the promotional products industry and earlier this month she was elected to Chair the Board of Directors for the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), an organization that was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
Tomasini herself is founder of Competitive Edge, a firm she started in 1993, and one she has transformed into one of the largest promotional products companies in her entire industry. Mary Jo is a member of the Michigan Promotional Products Association and currently chairs PPAI's Government Relations Advisory Council. She has worked to encourage women in business, serving as a Women's Business Enterprise mentor for women in Michigan starting a new business or considering Women's Business Enterprise National Council certification. She is an alumna of Lake Michigan College where she serves as the current Board Chair for the institution and also serves on the LMC Foundation and alumni boards.
Tomasini will take the reins at PPAI immediately following the PPAI Expo 2017 beginning the second week of January, 2017 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Other elected officers at the recent PPAI session include (to the right of Tomasini in the photo above — where Mary Jo is at the far left) Dale Denham, Chair-Elect, Brittany David, Vice Chair Financial Services and Tom Goos, immediate past chair.
Rick Brenner is the current immediate past board chair and chair of the officer nominating committee. He says, "PPAI is extremely fortunate to have the caliber of experience leaders and deeply committed volunteers it has, who are so willing to give of their time and talents to the board, and even more so when they aspire to the board's most time-consuming, challenging and important leadership roles."
PPAI Board officers are selected by the PPAI Board Nominating Committee and voted on by the PPAI Board.
