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The NELA Board of Directors. Back row (L to R): Affiliate Director Stephen G. Crispo of Research Underwriters, Directors Wayne Cipullo of Great Bay Limousine, Joseph Puleo of BostonCoach, and Arthur Bernard of Airport Coach, Executive Director Rick Szilagyi, and Directors Joseph Cardillo of All Occasion Transportation and Jason Dornhoffer of United Private Car/United Worldwide. Front row (L to R): 2nd Vice President Tina Benson of L.A. Limousine Service, 1st Vice President Andrew Tighe of Tristar Worldwide, President Michael Callahan of Able Limousine, Treasurer Teale Smith of Maine Limousine Service, and Secretary Lynda Saitta of Momentum Drive. The New England Livery Association (NELA) welcomed 84 members and supporters to its winter quarterly meeting and holiday party held at Anthony's of Malden December 12. Chauffeur Driven Editor Madeleine Maccar was among those in attendance for the festive event.
The meeting began with plenty of networking and mingling during a cocktail hour that kicked off the evening before NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi began the meeting portion of the winter quarterly event. He recognized President Mike Callahan of Able Limousine—one of only three presidents the association has operated under during its storied history—for his work to keep NELA an effective voice and advocate for chauffeured ground transportation, as well as the evening's sponsors who made the "night that's more about having a good time together than doing business" possible.
Szilagyi also called out the especially active members whose support has yielded the successes that NELA has helped bring about for New England operators: "You need to know that a few companies and members have been carrying this association: Scott Solombrino, Dawson Rutter, Mark Mollica, Andy Tighe, Tami Saccoccio, Brett Barenholtz, and Kevin Cronin have all done so much to support NELA."
Solombrino then took to the podium to discuss the National Limousine Association's (NLA's) biggest victory since the passage of the Ride Act nearly 10 years ago: Striking down a proposed tax measure that would create a haven of sorts for TNCs at the exclusion of more rule-abiding livery operators, further titling the playing field in TNCs' favor. He went on to 
L to R: Dawson Rutter of Commonwealth Worldwide, Pam Simms Spitzer and Karen Kelly of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Tami Saccoccio of Commonwealth Worldwide, and NELA President Mike Callahan of Able Limousine explain how the next 12 months' biggest fight will actually not be against the same enemy but rather driverless vehicles.
"Autonomous cars could put 20 million people out of work," Solombrino said. "We have the high ground, and we are prepared to go to every district with displaced workers and fight. We need to prove that workers come first and technology comes second."
For nearly two decades, NELA hosts its annual George Colarullo Memorial Golf Tournament, a fundraiser co-chaired by both Callahan and that benefits both the association and a number of charities that hold personal significance to various members. This past August, the yearly golf outing raised $6,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, while Rutter donated an additional $5,000 on behalf of Commonwealth Worldwide. Rutter, Saccoccio, and Callahan presented the two checks totaling $11,000 to the foundation's Executive Director Pam Simms Spitzer and Senior Development Director Karen Kelly.
More than 80 attendees turned out for NELA’s holiday celebration 
"Your donations are helping people with cystic fibrosis," Simms told those in attendance. "And your generosity is helping so many children breathe easier."
There were plenty of chances for attendees to walk away with a little extra holiday spirit, and an array of gift baskets and prizes were given away during the meeting. Maccar raffled off a pass to the 2018 Chauffeur Driven Executive Retreat in San Diego, which was won by Commonwealth Worldwide's Saccoccio.
A performance by comedian and impressionist Joey Voices capped off the evening, treating meeting-goers to a little audience participation and decades' worth of musical hits in a medley of well-known hits performed in the likes of the artists who popularized them.
The next NELA meeting will be March 6.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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CD Editor Madeleine Maccar (left) with Tami Saccoccio of Commonwealth Worldwide, winner of a CD Executive Retreat pass 
L to R: Aleja Seabron and Alison Ford of The LMC Group and Brittni Kirk of All Points Limousine 
L to R: Dan Morgan of Advantage Funding, Scott Solombrino of Dav El/BostonCoach, and Dave Lathbury of Black Tie Limousine 
L to R: NELA Director Jason Dornhoffer of United Private Car, entertainer Joey Voices, and NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi 
L to R: Arthur Messina of Create-A-Card, Aleja Seabron of The LMC Group, and Van Powell of Don Brown Bus Sales 
L to R: NELA Treasurer Teale Smith, Steve Magee, Anne Blais, Kim Madore-Smith, and David Blais of Maine Limousine Service 
NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi 
L to R: Brion and Amela Svenson of Four Star Limousine and Mark Mollica of Black Tie Limousine
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Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine Chicago — The Illinois Limousine Association (ILA) is among several chauffeured transportation associations across the country fighting recently enacted and operationally prohibitive laws pertaining to liquor and security on group-move vehicles.
The ordinance, according to Brian Whitaker of Windy City Limousine and Bus, the legislative liaison to ILA’s board, was originally intended as measure to cut down on this year’s outbreak of less reputable companies’ bus-related violence but has left numerous above-board companies struggling to work within the parameters of an unworkable law.
“If you have a vehicle with 15 passengers or more, and you either have alcohol on board or you go to a place that serves alcohol—like museums, theaters, restaurants, or any place with a liquor licenses that could serve your passengers alcohol—even if you have a group who’s not going there to drink, because they serve alcohol, you need to have cameras and security guards on board,” Whitaker said.
Brian Whitaker of Windy City Limousine Whitaker has been leading the charge to overturn the ordinance, and the Midwest Bus and Motorcoach Association (MBMCA) has been working alongside the ILA to “create a united front among several different industries,” according to ILA President Tracy Raimer of Your Private Limousine. Other associations that have joined the fight include American Bus Association, United Motorcoach Association, Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, Choose Chicago, Chicago Tour Professionals Association, Wisconsin Motorcoach Association, Wisconsin School Bus Association, Minnesota Bus Association, Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association, Tennessee Motorcoach Association, and Southeastern Motorcoach Association.
Meet Chicago Northwest CVB is among the hospitality organizations that have also been supporting the ILA’s and MBMCA’s efforts to overturn the onerous ordinance.
Whitaker explained that the problem originally started when a handful of alderman who voted on the ordinance ultimately voted to pass a regulation that they later admitted to not fully understanding—and was exacerbated when what was supposed to be a clarifying meeting about a month ago showed further misunderstandings among Chicago’s transportation officials, too.
“A little over a month ago, the city had a workshop to explain the ordinance to everybody, which was attended by myself and a bunch of different bus companies in the area,” he said. “They talked about the ordinance and the Department of Transportation commissioner explained the safety of it, why it was put in place, and so on, and then she opened up the floor to questions. One bus company asked if they would need a security guard if they brought a busload of little old ladies to the theater, and the deputy commissioner said no while their enforcement officer stood up and said, ‘If we’re checking buses, then yes, we’re going to ticket you for not having a security guard on board.’ So here’s the deputy commissioner telling us one thing and the person who enforces it telling us the total opposite.”
Whitaker says that five alderman have expressed their support to help a spate of lawyers, transportation companies, and advocates get the ordinance reversed, but he doesn’t think they can expect to see any actionable change until the spring.
Meanwhile, the city of Chicago could be losing money as various conventions, conferences, and other city-wide events are balking at buses’ line items that reflect the addition of on-board security guards that can cost tens of thousands of extra dollars—which was how a number of companies realized this was happening in the first place.
“What really got everybody’s attention is when different conventions were coming to Chicago and all of a sudden, they had to have security guards, which, for some of these conventions, increased their budgets by $50,000 to $70,000, depending on the size,” Raimer said.
She added that several operators think this ordinance isn’t applicable to them, a misconception the ILA is working to correct with education, outreach, and communication.
“The general thought is that if you don’t own buses that this doesn’t pertain to you,” she explained. “That’s definitely not the case: Even if you don’t own buses, even if you just book a group of 15 or more passengers and you farm it out to your affiliate partners, then this still applies to you because your customers are getting on that bus. Are your clients going to be left standing on the curb because you thought you were exempt? And even if you don’t book rides with more than 15 passengers, it still applies to you because these bigger conventions that come to town, you rely on them for airport transportation and SUV charters: Those conventions, because of this added expense, could very well change the city they’re going to come 2018 or 2019, and now you—and every Chicago operator—just lost all of that airport work.”
In the meantime, Whitaker said that all buses can do is go along with the ordinance until the lawyers they’ve been working with explain “what the next step will be, what it will take, and how much energy and money it will take” while an already TNC-beleaguered market continues to fight for its livelihood.
“This is definitely affecting interstate commerce,” Whitaker said. “We have bus and tour companies all over the U.S. who are now saying that they’re not coming to Chicago because they don’t want the extra expense and hassle of this.”
Chauffeur Driven will continue reporting on developments as they happen.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
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Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine 
Donald Mahnke of ABC Worldwide Transportation 
Brett Barenholtz of Boston Car Service
The National Limousine Association (NLA) recently held its annual board election. When voting closed on December 15, seven operators have been elected to the 2017-2020 Board of Directors.
The results are as follows:
Central Region: Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine in Broadview, Ill.
Northeast Region: Michael Campbell of Grace Limousine & Shuttle in Manchester, N.H.
Southeast Region: Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation in Rockville, Md.
Southeast Region: Laura Canady of SC Express in Aiken, S.C.
West Region: Donald Mahnke of ABC Worldwide Transportation in San Mateo, Calif.
At-Large: Brett Barenholtz of Boston Car Service in Canton, Mass.
At-Large: Jeff Greene of Greene Worldwide Transportation in Atlanta, Ga.
This term will be the first for Barenholtz, Mahnke, and Raimer. Incumbents Campbell, Canady, and Greene will be serving their third consecutive term. Alexander, also an incumbent, will be serving his fourth consecutive term.
NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation remarked: "On behalf of the entire membership, we want to thank each candidate for their willingness to serve this association and its members."
The new members of the board will take their elected seats on March 11 in Las Vegas.
Visit limo.org for more information.
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