education I gained from this association has been the foundation of my own company ’ s growth as well as my own . And it continues as we build a network of trusted partners who work with us to deliver for our clients . We ’ re always looking for CLDA members when we have to deliver somewhere in the country that we don ’ t usually cover . That ’ s because we know they ’ re going to represent our interests . To the first-time attendees and new members , I suggest that you commit to this association for the next three years . Don ’ t just join and sit on the sidelines . Come to the FMF , contribute to the Advocacy Fund , join a committee . If you do that , I guarantee the ROI on your membership dollars will be far greater than you ever expected . And if you ever need anything , don ’ t be afraid to ask or reach out to me or another CLDA member . We ’ ll be here to assist . CLDA is all about making your businesses bigger , stronger and better . And , as part of that , CLDA has three pillars : advocacy , networking , and education . My goals over the next two years include growing the value of membership which includes increasing the number of member benefits we offer you . And lastly , one of the things I ’ d like to do is to foster the growth of the young , up and coming last-mile executives . They are the next generation of people who will grow our industry .”
Pinsky then introduced the association ’ s newly-elected Executive Committee which includes :
• President-Elect Lorena Camargo , PearlTrans Logistics
• Treasurer - G . Eddie Pillow , Pillow Logistics
• Secretary - Brian Surber , Priority Dispatch
• Past-President - Jason Burns , Sr ., CUI Agency
Among the new board members he presented were :
• Al-Jean Baptiste , 24 / 7 Enterprises , LLC
• Harold Boyett , Blue Streak
• Roslyn Ellerbee , Express Errands & Courier
They join returning board members :
• Andrew Brady , King Courier
• Tim Cocchia , Xcel Delivery
• Ruth Correa , Cheetah Final Mile LLC
• Mark Cossack , Priority Courier Experts
• Thomas Jowers , ADL Delivery
• Ralph Perrothers , On the Go Cargo , Inc .
• Ryan Schwalbach , NOW Courier , Inc .
Outgoing Treasurer Tim Cocchia reported that the association continues to be strong financially with a net increase in assets again in 2023 . He pointed out that the association has a very strong cash position . The one area he wanted to bring to the attention of the crowd was the Advocacy Fund . “ Our advocacy dollars are earmarked specifically for the work that the CLDA does . We use these funds to defend our industry . And every business that ’ s a member of this association needs to contribute to it . Give whatever you can to our efforts to defend our industry . Even if you think it ’ s a small amount , it makes a difference when we ’ re making decisions on how much money we can put behind these efforts . The number of members that participate in the Advocacy Fund is very low right now . And we need everyone to step up and figure out the amount you can afford . And as your business continues to grow , keep increasing the amount of over time . It really does make a huge difference behind the scenes ,” he said .
spring 2024 I customized logistics & delivery Magazine 41