American Rental Association executive vice-president Christine Wehrman spoke before a local southern California chapter of the California Rental Association in La Mirada, Calif., last week, addressing problems that have set back integration efforts between the two groups.
Participants had the opportunity to ask questions of Wehrman and CRA executive director Chuck Maltese in an informal atmosphere. Meeting organizers said it was the first time an ARA executive vice-president had ever addressed a CRA chapter meeting.
The association officials admitted that a number of issues threaten to derail unity efforts between the two associations. CRA officials and board members object to the manner in which ARA's board decided to cancel the joint show the two groups were planning to produce jointly this fall in Las Vegas, while ARA officials claim CRA was slow to respond to requests for financial information. The organizations have differences on membership and funding issues and ARA recently moved its west coast field representative out of his office in the CRA's Woodland, Calif., headquarters.
"It's tough work to bring together history and tradition," said Wehrman. "Although we have more similarities than differences, there are significant differences in organizational structure."
The boards of directors of the two organizations will meet July 22 with a mediator in an effort to reach an agreement and revitalize the historic working relationship that has made significant strides in the past year.
In other CRA news, Dennis Turner, CEO of Santa Fe Springs, Calif.-based PDQ Rentals, was recently elected to the association's board of directors.
