E-Communicator Article

 
The Chairman's Corner

by Rick Hosea

April 2013


As I prepared to write my last column, I began reflecting on the past year as Chairman. There is a great deal of good news to share with our members, we should clearly feel good about the direction we are headed in for many years to come. I have enjoyed my time serving our Association the past 12 months, traveling around the state to visit our chapters, national association conventions and chapter fundraisers, which benefit both our scholarship and the Special Olympics programs. I have felt welcome by all at each chapter meeting; some of you I met for the first time.

I thought I would look back on my time and recap some of the highlights as your Chairman. I was proud to work with our then-Chairman Dennis Doody as we worked to secure Steve Weitekamp as our president for an additional 5 years. Dennis led the charge to develop a well-structured contract extending our CMSA leadership through 2017. I then worked with Dennis Doody of Blue Chip Moving & Storage, Inc., Steve Weitekamp of CMSA, Chris Higdon of California Moving Systems, and Chuck Cole of Avocation, Inc. (CMSA Legislative Consultant) to move forward our AB 2118 bill through the legislative processes as it made its way through each committee meeting and onto the Governor’s desk where it became law. In August, your CMSA Executive Board came together in San Diego at my request to lay out a plan of action and set forth goals for our Association. I am pleased to report that we have increased membership over the past 12 months, which was a priority for our entire Board. Both Steve and I traveled back to Maryland to attend PAIMA and IAM conventions, which were held consecutively and well-attended by many.

In March, Steve Weitekamp, CMSA Legal Counsel Mark Hegarty and I met with Brigadier General Jack Hagan, Director of the Safety and Enforcement Division at the CPUC, in San Francisco in order to discuss many agenda items benefiting both permitted movers and California citizens alike. We were able to set up a working group made up of both PUC enforcement personnel and CMSA members led by Steve Weitekamp. We are set to meet in Los Angeles on April 22, and as needed after that. The purpose of this meeting will be to agree on a platform for improvement toward the implementation of AB 2118 electronic acceptance and other enforcement-related practices, which will help to put pressure on unpermitted operators who choose to ignore our regulated industry. CMSA is going to become part of the solution by working hand in hand with the CPUC to send a message that together we are unified in exposing and shutting down illegal movers in our state.

I would like to ask that you join us at our CMSA Convention in May to learn more about our efforts to become a voice for all permitted movers alike. We will have many speakers and lots of new information to help you prepare for this year’s moving season. From the very start, I have always maintained that we are much stronger in numbers. Having a strong membership will help our message resonate throughout California and to be part of the solution for fair and equitable business environment.

Finally, this is not goodbye. Instead, I will do all I can to remain active on the Board, as I soon become your Senior Chairman, and in my chapter as we continue to gain traction to grow our Association to benefit our members. I want to thank you all for your support and involvement over the past year; I have received so much out of this experience as your Chairman. I look forward to welcoming our Chairman-Elect PJ Welch. I am confident that he will continue to work hard to bring us all the value we expect from CMSA. I want to extend much gratitude for those who have served on my Board; these folks are a committed group of men and women who give so much of themselves to ensure CMSA continues to be the strongest state association in the United States. Lastly, I would like to extend a big thanks to our entire CMSA staff; they have been instrumental to me from day one with their endless support throughout my term as Chairman.

See you in Santa Barbara!

April 2013 - CMSA Communicator


California Moving & Storage Association 1998-2013
10900 E. 183rd St., Ste 300, Cerritos, CA 90703-5370
(562) 865-2900 - (800) 672-1415 - (562) 865-2944 Fax