The American Rental Association last week announced it will recognize numerous members for their volunteer service to the association and the rental industry during The Rental Show, Feb. 11-14 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Individuals who will receive awards during Dessert With ARA, the association’s annual volunteer recognition ceremony, on Feb. 11 include J. Barry Ghiglione, Handyman Rental Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Joe Jabbour, Doosan Infracore Portable Power, formerly Ingersoll Rand, Mocksville, N.C.; and Dean Eklund, Lew Rents, Olympia, Wash.
Ghiglione will receive the Meritorious Service Award, which honors an ARA member who’s made a significant contribution and demonstrated leadership pivotal to the success of a project or program. He worked diligently to provide rental insurance as a member benefit for the Canadian Rental Association (CRA). As ARA’s Region 10 director representing Canada from 2003 to 2006, Ghiglione studied the insurance benefit ARA provides for qualified members through ARA Insurance Services and ARA Insurance Ltd., then worked with CRA, ARA and ARA Insurance Services to establish a similar program for CRA members. Today, member participation in this insurance program continues to grow and is a principal member benefit for those joining CRA.
Jabbour will receive the Special Service Award, which is presented to an individual not in the general rental business who has performed outstanding service for the good of the rental industry overall. He began his career in the equipment rental industry at Ingersoll Rand in 1971. Jabbour was the first associate member on the ARA board of directors, elected in 1996. He also has been an advocate of the former Ingersoll Rand’s sponsorship and involvement at The Rental Show and participated in ARA’s legislative caucus.
Eklund will receive the Outstanding Leadership Award, whose recipients provide examples of superlative leadership at ARA’s grassroots level. He continues to lend assistance to the state associations in ARA’s Region Eight in the Western U.S., following his tenure on the ARA board of directors as Region Eight director (2000-2003) and as an ARA Insurance Services director (2004-2006). He’s also focused on the importance of member involvement in government affairs, having strongly supported a national regulation for surge brakes and attended ARA’s legislative caucus.
In addition to these awards, each of ARA’s 10 regions will recognize individuals during the Regional Lunches on Feb. 11 at The Rental Show. The Regional Person of the Year award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions at the regional, state or local level. The recipients are:
· Region One – Sherri Woronick, Taylor Rental Center, Plainville, Conn.
· Region Two – Allen Morehead, Ace Rents, Lancaster, Pa.
· Region Three – Jeff Wearing, Ready Rent All, Decatur, Ga.
· Region Four – Byron Alleman, Lafayette Rental Service, Lafayette, La.
· Region Five – John Gauer, Gauer Rental, Akron, Ohio, and Robert Jacklin, Jack’s Rental, Berwyn, Ill.
· Region Six –Doug Haas, Crown Rental, Burnsville, Minn.
· Region Seven – Linda Jones, Area Rent-Alls, Westminster, Colo.
· Region Eight – Brent Younker, Total Rental, Gresham, Ore.
· Region Nine – Paul Schlerf, EquipRent, Azusa, Calif.
· Region 10 – Penny O’Sullivan, ABCO Equipment and Supplies, Weston, Ontario, Canada
