Tag: Elections

President’s Letter: November, 2018

Posted on | by Scott Case

As I teased in The Pallet, November's a big month for voting. On the first Tuesday of the month, we vote for state and federal candidates. On the second Tuesday of the month, we vote for board positions for the IACAC. It is humbling to see new faces running for the board - it tells us that the energy the group is generating makes people want to be part of it and advance us even further. We are fortunate to have guidance, advice and support from many past presidents and board members - and what those people have to say and offer is extremely valuable and informs us as we debate and consider new opportunities for our members.

The annual election luncheon will be held Tuesday, November 13th, at the Department of Aviation. We encourage all our members to attend not just to network, but to meet our candidates, all of whom will be speaking and presenting themselves at the event. If you can't make the event in person but are a member in good standing of the IACAC, you can vote for the candidates by absentee ballot.

All you need to register for the luncheon or download and submit your ballot can be found right here.

December Holiday Luncheon

Mark your calendars for Tuesday - December 11th - a little over a month from now - to join us for our annual Holiday Luncheon at Belvedere Events & Banquets in Elk Grove Village. As always, we encourage everyone to bring an unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots collection that IACAC Board Member (and Marine) Maureen Schmitt arranges. Please also bring items that we can raffle off to raise money for our Scholarship Fund. Tickets are a very affordable $35 for members and non-members alike and we encourage everyone to join us and participate. Registration is open for the luncheon at this link.

IACAC Board On The Road - TIACA and WESCCON

Chuck Menini and I were both in Toronto for TIACA's Air Cargo Forum 2018 - it was extremely informative and gave us a few great ideas for topics to have for our upcoming luncheons, including UAV's and explosive-sniffing dogs. Along with this were very interesting sessions, some of which are available on TIACA's Periscope page that were live-streamed or by going back through TIACA's Twitter feed from those few days. 

If you're interested in hearing what Chuck and I had to say, why not check out this video from the IACAC Facebook page? 

I was also fortunate enough to score an interview with TIACA's Secretary General Vladimir Zubkov. That video is also on the IACAC Facebook page - but go ahead and use this direct link.

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Brian Bartolotta was exhibiting at WESCCON and the word everybody was buzzing about was tariffs and what it has meant for importers as well as freight forwarders.

Join us (or join us again) in 2019

We are very excited to be kicking off membership renewals for 2019. We have plenty of great things planned for 2019 including members-only events, discounts and service offerings from vendors who want your business. We're extremely affordable at only $130 for a corporate membership and $50 for an individual membership. Don't wait - renew today.

IACAC President’s Letter – November, 2014

Posted on | by Brian Bartolotta, President

Why does it feel like every time I sit down to write one of these letters one of two things is happening; either a holiday or a massive shift in the weather?

Contemporary Tree Art Blowing Away Print by Amy Giacomelli

I have been fortunate enough to spend this week in Beijing, China, for work. It was a day late in happening as I spent eight hours at O'Hare waiting for my flight to depart last Sunday as the airline worked (how feverishly I'm still not sure) to get the plane airworthy. At 9 PM on Sunday night, after my fill of football and airport food, they cancelled the flight, only to find me back to try it again at 1:00 Monday afternoon.

That one, thankfully, went off without a hitch.

This month we were fortunate to have Brandon Fried of the Airforwarders Association join us for our monthly luncheon, and he did not disappoint. Brandon travels extensively for AfA, speaking to Associations such as ours, as well as appearing on panels with IATA, CNS, NCBFAA, TIACA and others. In fact, Brandon was in Seoul, Korea, at TIACA's event the week before ours. He also was delayed in transit on his Asian trip, not by a mechanical, but by a typhoon.

In November, we vote. We as a country and state vote for Congressional representatives and in Illinois we are voting for state leadership as well. Democracies are founded on the participation of their citizens, and this is my plea to you to get out and vote. Let your voice be heard, let your opinion be counted.

After voting in our state and federal elections on November 4th, don't miss the second major election of November, the one for the AIFBA board.

This will happen at our monthly luncheon (click here to register) on Tuesday, November 11th at the Holiday Inn. Remember, you are the ones who determine your leaders and can have a voice with them to set policy and the important agenda items to address during their tenure.

With declining oil prices, fuel costs are declining as well, and according to IATA's numbers, air freight volumes are ticking upwards, and Boeing has forecast a strong demand in the next twenty years for air cargo.

Combined, it appears that a healthy recovery is underway, and continued success lies ahead for our industry.