Member: Hall of Honor Selection Committee

I have been active in the International Association of Movers for over 50 years. My experience is that volunteering is truly good for business!

I entered the industry in 1971, and attended the Household Good Forwarders Association of America (predecessor to the IAM) Annual Meeting the next year in Seattle. The knowledge I received during the meeting made clear to me that my small part of a move at an agency in Florida was part of a huge, worldwide industry. I could see that there were immense opportunities in this business.

Starting a brand-new company in 1978, I immediately joined the Association, and volunteered to help in the registration process at the Annual Meeting, which we did for 15 years. We prepared the attendance listing, printed the name badges, and greeted members at the meeting site. In short order, we met the entire industry!

For a small company with limited resources, those Annual Meetings were key to our growth, and being part of the volunteers led me to being selected as part of the governing structure. I served on several committees and had many revenue opportunities offered to me, and our company’s management team served in several capacities in the Association, as well.

When changes in procedures occurred in my area of expertise (billing), I was asked to serve as the Association designate for the committees that were designing the new system. Now I was working with our customers (TSPs) and their customer, the military, directly at the highest level.

When I retired, I was asked to undertake the creation of the Hall of Honor, and become part of the Association “Looking Back Committee” with Rick Curry, with a mission to uncover the history of our Association since its inception in 1962. In that capacity, I was able to meet the people that I considered the icons of our Industry.

In all of these endeavors, we enhanced our reputation while keeping in touch with our customers. Someone asked me what it cost to volunteer for IAM, and I replied it cost nothing. You see—Volunteering is Good For Business!