Last night, Leadership Development Workshop (LDW) attendees donned their boots and cowboy hats for an evening of live music, dancing and recognizing their industry peers’ accomplishments. Held at the rustic and very “Texas” Austin Ranch banquet hall adjacent to the Hilton DFW Lakes hotel, LDW’s event hotel, the evening celebrated Tom Carpenter, MAS, national accounts manager at Minnesota-based Fey Promotional Products Group and recipient of the 2019 PPAI RAC (Regional Association Council) Volunteer of the Year award, and Tiffany Kanak, executive director of the Chesapeake Promotional Products Association (CPPA) and the Promotional Products Association Midwest (PPAMidwest), who was presented with the 2019 Donna Hall Memorial Grant.

The PPAI RAC Volunteer of the Year Award is presented annually to regional association members who have demonstrated an outstanding level of volunteerism and leadership, and who have made significant and measurable contributions to a regional association. Carpenter is the 17th recipient of the award that has been presented annually since 2010.

Carpenter, who currently serves as treasurer for the Promotional Products Association Southwest (PPAS) regional association, exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism and dedication to the promotional products industry at every level. Along with his service to PPAS, Carpenter has volunteered in many capacities for PPAI, he has earned multiple awards throughout his career, and has been an advocate for opportunities to spread the word about the promotional products industry.

Created by the RAC Board in 2013, the Donna Hall Memorial Grant honors the memory of Donna Hall, who served as executive director of the Michigan Promotional Professionals Association (MiPPA). Funded by RAC, the Donna Hall Memorial Grant provides regional association executive directors the opportunity to advance their education and careers by providing financial support to attend educational conferences and events. Kanak was selected from a pool of executive directors who applied for the grant, and was chosen by an advisory group. She will receive up to $1,500 in tuition and travel expense reimbursement to attend education and professional development workshops and events.