The Chairman's Corner

By John Chipman, Jr.

September 2020

Greetings California Movers & Suppliers! Welcome to September. During the next 30 days, it’s our chance for CMSA members to get back together again. A blitz of Chapter meetings is about to start.

Our Chapter Presidents have planned exciting meetings for you. They’ve lined up guest speakers, sponsors, raffles, and prizes. Most of the meetings will be done “Brady Bunch style” via Zoom. Virtual meetings can be annoying, but they save time and eliminate the hassle. Consider the advantages: no dashing home from work; no primping in the mirror to get your hair just right; no changing out of your work duds, and no endless debate when selecting the perfect Hawaiian shirt to wear to dinner. (Yes, I’m talking about your tropical shirts, Fred Wallace at One Big Man & One Big Truck!) CMSA virtual Chapter meetings are easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy; just click on the link, hoist a cocktail or your favorite drink, and greet your industry comrades from the comfort of your office or home.  

Here’s a special sneak preview of what’s in store for the first six September CMSA Chapter meetings.

The Twin Counties (Riverside & San Bernardino) launches its meeting via Zoom at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, September 8th. Chapter President Ed Coelho (from Burgess M&S) looks forward to hearing Steve Weitekamp’s “State of the Industry” update: “I think Steve works really hard on our behalf and it’s essential for our industry to have representation in the ever-changing CA political arena.“ Among other things, Steve will share his thoughts on AB2257, which is the so-called “AB5 clean-up bill”. (AB2257 is sitting on Governor Newsom’s desk as a I write.) Even though the Twin Counties meeting is taking place during a pandemic, Ed remains very positive: “Things are a little different now, but we can still be active and productive and do our part. If we stay positive, this thing will be behind us and we can get back to normal.”

The following afternoon, on Wednesday, September 9, at 3:30 pm, the San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter will hold its meeting via Zoom. Republic M&S’ Andria Skiff is very excited about her new role as chapter president. Andria is in her 4th year at Republic, where she leads the venerable mover’s credit & collections department, plus she is the HR manager.  Bryan Bloom, from Movers Search Marketing, will be the meeting sponsor. There’s also a digital gift card raffle planned.  Andria would like the San Diego/Imperial Chapter to know: “My goal this year is to continue to grow our chapter and have some new and interesting speakers and topics.”

On Thursday September 10th at 4:30 pm, the Orange County/Beach Cities Chapter will meet virtually. Chapter President Shiree Hammer’s meeting will focus on the state of the industry. Sponsors include Pioneer Packing and Champion Risk & Insurance. You don’t want to miss the 50/50 raffle. Where does Shiree find the time to lead the OC Chapter, work full time with her family (at CA Relocation Services), serve as CMSA Secretary/Treasurer , shuttle her youngest to baseball practice, and make sure her boys attend on-line classes?  It’s because of the amazing support of her family and colleagues.  Shiree puts it this way: “I started going to chapter meetings 22 years ago, and I have been fortunate enough to meet many wonderful moving & storage professionals.”

Football Alert! Shiree promises the OC meeting will conclude before the NFL’s 5:30 pm season kick-off opener. This means NFL fans won’t miss a minute of the game. 49er fans can look forward to rooting against Patrick Mahomes and the Superbowl Champion Chiefs.

The following week, on September 15, Jay Casey and the Mid Valley Chapter will make a bold maneuver.  Jay has figured out a way to safely hold an in-person Chapter meeting. According to Jay: “… I think we all need a little camaraderie so yes; we are going to have a dinner meeting at the Redwood Café. They have a great outside venue, including an open-air bar. You can’t go wrong when ordering the pork schnitzel.”  Wunderbar! With the emphasis on safety, Jay’s special guest will be Maria Blanco with Stanislaus County Emergency Services. Ms. Blanco will share with CMSA members her tips for workplace safety protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Well done, Jay!!

Pete Poulos’ Monterey Bay Chapter will meet virtually on September 16. Pete looks forward to seeing everyone, even if the format is like watching Hollywood Squares: “The best part of our chapter is that all of the company owners and representatives get along very well, suppliers included. We have a great mix of personalities.”  Former Chapter President and current Board Member Carl Freese agrees: “Our movers and suppliers work well together, and we definitely know how to have fun together.”

Central Coast Chapter members, President Megan Friend needs your help and advice. During your meeting on Thursday, September 17th at 3:00 p.m., members will consider fundraiser options, like a virtual holiday silent auction and a virtual chapter race, complete with custom CMSA medals for the speedy. President Friend also needs your input on doing a joint social media workshop with the Greater Northern Chapter (in the Bay Area). For your convenience, the meeting will start promptly at 3:00 p.m. and conclude with a 50/50 raffle at 4:30 p.m. The new meeting schedule will snuggle up perfectly with the end of your workday.

Your chapter presidents have great meetings planned. Watch for CMSA invitations and mark your calendars accordingly. Now more than ever, your participation and support to the CMSA is essential. Thanks in advance for attending. I’ll see you there!

September 2020 - CMSA Communicator