PPAI Townhall: Getting To Know Your Board Nominees 2020

Recorded On: 08/28/2020

This is a great opportunity to hear from the Board Slate Nominees for the 2020 Election. Each Board nominee will be answering questions that reflect their skill sets that align with the Board’s current focus and strategic plan. This webinar has been set up for all PPAI members to participate live or to access on-demand.

Paul Bellantone, CAE

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Promotional Products Association International

Paul Bellantone, CAE, is president and CEO of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the not-for-profit association for more than 16,000 member companies in the $24.7 billion-dollar promotional products industry. Bellantone is responsible for executing the strategies and vision of the PPAI Board of Directors and advocating for the industry and its professional practitioners. His focus on delivering compelling member value and business-building products and services, combined with his commitment to active and meaningful member communication, has helped PPAI achieve marked growth. Bellantone holds a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and a master’s in business administration from the School of Management at Texas Woman's University. He is a Certified Association Executive and is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives, the Dallas Fort Worth Association Executives, the American Marketing Association, the Dallas/Fort Worth AMA and a board trustee for The Forum: Business Results Through People.

Ira Neaman, MAS

Founder and President of Vantage Apparel

Ira Neaman, MAS, founder and president of supplier Vantage Apparel, has joined the PPAI Board of Directors, effective immediately, to fill the seat vacated by Lori Kates, who has stepped down. He was appointed by PPAI Board Chair Dale Denham, MAS+, and approved by the board to fill the remainder of Kates's term, which ends at The PPAI Expo 2022. Neaman graduated from Syracuse University in 1974 and earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard in 1976. He founded Vantage in 1977. An active volunteer in the promotional products industry for more than 40 years, Neaman has served on several PPAI committees, including the Leadership Advisory Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, and the Marketing and Research Committee, as well as the Promotional Products Education Foundation Board and several industry task forces. In 2002, he became the inaugural recipient of the PPAI Education Lifetime Achievement Award, and Counselor magazine named him its Person of the Year in 2003 and has included him in its Power 50 since 2008.

Todd Pottebaum, MAS+

President of Quality Resource Group

Todd Pottebaum, MAS+, is president of Quality Resource Group (QRG), a branded merchandise and print distributor headquartered in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area that utilizes technology to cut complexities, streamline processes and gain market share. An aspiring expert in systems, efficiencies and process planning, Pottebaum speaks regionally and nationally at industry events.

Prior to his election to the PPAI Board of Directors in 2017, Pottebaum served the promotional products industry in a wide variety of roles, most notably as president of Upper Midwest Association of Promotional Professionals, and as chair of the PPAI Marketing Information And Research Committee.

Pottebaum studied at the University of Northern Colorado and earned a degree in international trade and relations with an emphasis in economics. His greatest treasures are his wife, Sheri, daughter Savannah, and sons, Jax and Jaeger. He’s a proud Minnesotan who enjoys spending time on the lake with his family.

Alan Tabasky

Vice President and General Manager of Bel USA

Alan Tabasky has been involved in the promotional products industry for over 25 years. He was the co-owner of Hurricane Line, an A-rated and five-star industry supplier from 1994-2010 with his wife Heidi, until they merged Hurricane Line with BEL Promo over 11 years ago. Tabasky is currently the vice president and general manager of BEL USA, the parent company of BEL Promo and Discount Mugs. Tabasky was also president of GCPPA for two terms and has volunteered on various PPAI committees over the years.  Tabasky has been married for 29 years to Heidi, and they still work together after all these years. They have two wonderful children, both recently graduating college and both with psychology degrees. 


Noah Lapine

President and Co-Owner of Lapine

Noah Lapine is president and co-owner of the Consumer Engagement Agency, Lapine (www.lapineinc.com), a 58-year-old third-generation family business. Lapine works with some of the world’s most-recognized brands, connecting brand strategy with merchandise to enable transformative consumer engagement and drive powerful business results. By offering end-to-end solutions built on the innovative combination of meaningful insights, scalable technology and quantifiable process efficiencies, Lapine has become an essential partner to the clients they serve. In 2020 Lapine became a 1% for the Planet company furthering their commitment to protecting our planet through the support of environmental causes. He joined Lapine in 1996 and has subsequently been involved in all phases of the agency’s development.  In 2017 Noah co-founded Effectus Partners (www.effectuspartners.com), a Miami-based Business Process Innovation company that architects and implements process efficiencies and solutions for major corporations. Effectus Partners earned the rank of No. 117 on the 2020 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Lapine serves as chairman of Effectus Partners. Before joining Lapine, he served as a corps member in Teach for America where he taught seventh grade English to students in rural Georgia. Lapine serves on the Board of Directors for Children’s Learning Centers, Connecticut’s third-largest early childhood education provider, and the Mill River Park Collaborative. He was a founding board member and board chair of Stamford, Connecticut’s first charter high school, Stamford Academy. He is also a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) and a Corporator for First County Bank.  Lapine received his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester, and his Masters of Public Policy from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service as a dean’s scholar. He lives in Stamford with his wife and three children.

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