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National Limousine Association (NLA) President Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide announced that voting to fill the vacant seat for the Northeast region is underway and will close at 12:00 p.m. on January 14. Nancy Vargas of DH2 Chauffeured Transportation and Jeff Rose of Attitude New York are vying for the seat, which was vacated after to the resignation of Javaid Chaudhry in late December.
Nancy Vargas of DH2 Chauffeured Transportation 
Jeff Rose of
Attitude
New York
All eligible voting members from the Northeast region should have received their voting information via email this week. If it wasn’t received, you can request assistance by emailing info@limo.org.
The winner of this election will serve one year and then need to run again to serve a full three-year term in the fall 2021 Board election.
“I am glad to see two capable and passionate candidates step up to serve their association and help to move the NLA forward. The winner will join the Board on the January 28 Board Meeting, along with the three newly elected Board members from the 2020 election,” Alexander wrote in his President’s Message. “I want to personally thank Nancy and Jeff for answering the call and stepping up to serve the NLA and the industry. Their passion and dedication to the industry is admirable and on behalf of the Board and the members, I thank them for their selflessness.”
The winner will be announced in the upcoming President’s Message.
Visit limo.org for more information.
[01.13.21]
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In commemoration of January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, industry associations are making a concerted effort to reaffirm their commitment to promote awareness and make a difference in fighting this crime. The industry is in a unique position to spot the signs of danger.
To bring attention to Human Trafficking Awareness Day on January 11, the Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) took to Facebook to spread the message. GCLA Director Mark Stewart of CLI Worldwide affirmed the association’s commitment to help combat trafficking by posting a reflection and prayer.
“Human trafficking generates more than $150 billion annually,” read the post. “One in 4 victims is a child, 70 percent of all trafficking victims are sold online, and 7 in 10 victims are female. We can become a part of the solution when we take the time to learn and spread awareness of the problem.”
On the bus side of the industry, the American Bus Association (ABA), Coach USA, and Greyhound have been partnering with Busing on the Lookout (BOTL), a program of Truckers Against Trafficking, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign to educate and equip their drivers and networks with information on how to identify and report suspicions of human trafficking they may be seeing in the course of their everyday jobs. As a result, bus drivers and bus station employees throughout the country have played a role by helping trafficking victims access services, reporting suspicions of trafficking to law enforcement, and supporting anti-trafficking investigations.
“The practice of human trafficking is a scourge in our country,” said ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso. “We are a proud partner of Truckers Against Trafficking and Busing on the Lookout as we work together to education our members and drivers on how to recognize human traffickers using motorcoaches. We have a great number of success stories where our companies have been able to help victims. We look forward to continuing this work together until this practice comes to an end.”
“The bus industry has a key role to play in helping to end human trafficking. As transportation professionals who are truly the eyes and ears of America’s roadways and communities, frontline employees are regularly coming into contact with victims of human trafficking and our goal is to make sure they know how to recognize and report it effectively,” said BOTL Director Annie Sovcik. “During the past three years, BOTL has provided anti-human trafficking training to more than 115,000 bus industry personnel in the United States and we have seen the power of that knowledge as bus drivers and bus station employees have taken actions that have helped to recover victims and bring traffickers to justice. We welcome the continued commitment of the American Bus Association, Coach USA, Greyhound and many others in the industry as we continue this fight together.”
Visit gcla.org or buses.org for more information.
[01.12.21]
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For the better part of a year, the motorcoach industry has been in limbo while desperately awaiting aid from the Federal Government. At long last, with the signing of the latest stimulus bill in late December the much-anticipated CERTS Act was finally enacted. Needless to say, when the United Motorcoach Association (UMA) hosted its first Town Hall of 2021 on January 7, CERTS and its benefits were among the chief topics of discussion.
UMA Vice President & COO Ken Presley
UMA President & CEO Larry Killingsworth kicked off the meeting with the promise of a “loaded” legislation update for the members now that more details about the stimulus and CERTS have emerged, and we’re inching closer to the next administration. First, UMA Lobbyist Becky Weber of Prime Policy offered some insight as to what the industry can expect with a newly elected 50/50 Senate. With UMA’s history of working closely with moderates in the House, Weber anticipates having more sway when it comes to motorcoach-related legislation. She also predicts another COVID relief bill in the spring, which could mean more aid for the industry and bolster the economy.
UMA President & CEO Larry Killingsworth
Next, UMA Vice President & COO Ken Presley provided an overview of the CERTS Act, which he called the most significant bill in the industry since economic deregulation was passed in 1982. Bad news first: While it signed into law in December, the $2B bill still has to be worked out and implemented by the Treasury Department. Presley expects that it will be a minimum of 60 days before the program launches, applications are accepted, and aid finds its way into the industry. However, on the plus side, at the last minute it was determined that monies distributed through CERTS may qualify as 100 percent grant. Presley says that the aid package is widely believed to carry a 60/40 rule similar to the PPP (which the ground transportation world became very familiar with in the spring), meaning operators will be required to use 60 percent of their grant on payroll, distributed over 12 months as business ramps up. The remaining 40 percent can go towards rent/lease, insurance costs, and the interest on equipment loans. Presley also stated that small businesses are guaranteed equal access, with particularly consideration given towards minority- and women-owned companies.
The Town Hall concluded with a session by speaker/sales trainer Jim Pancero entitled “Changing Your Mindset.”
Visit uma.org for more information.
[01.12.21]