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Mary Norby, President of CLA Denver — The Colorado Limousine Association (CLA) has been hard at work both representing and gauging the interests and main concerns of The Centennial State’s operators.
The association recently elected its 2017 board of directors, which includes:
President: Mary Norby of Carey Denver/GT Denver
Treasurer: Nikko Ouzounis of A White Dove Limousine
Sergeant-at-Arms: Jeremiah Kidanemarian of CFC Ride
Chairman of the Board: Dianne Cavender of DDG Classic Limousine
Nominations have been accepted to fill CLA’s vice president and secretary slots; Youssef Marrakchi of Centennial Transportation has been nominated to run for the former while Jason Ramsey of Prestige Worldwide Transportation has been nominated to the latter role. Additional nominations will be accepted at the CLA meeting tonight, March 21, before elections are held.
The association is also reaching out to its members to encourage roundtable discussions at future meetings. Topics for consideration can be submitted to Executive Director Philip Jagiela at philip@palmamac.com.
To further increase its outreach, the association is also ramping up its social media presence, especially LinkedIn and Facebook. It is also looking for additional members to participate in its committees, particularly its sponsorship committee.
The CLA’s next membership meeting will be this evening at Mercedes-Benz of Denver.
Visit cololimo.org for more informations.
[CD0317]
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West Haven, Conn. —Andrew Okoski, who has been driving with Hy's Limousine Worldwide Transportation since 2015, was on a routine trip to the airport at 3:30 a.m. in early February when he narrowly avoided a snowplow and crashed into a truck on the Van Wyck Expressway. His driving skills led him to avoid the accident entirely, but he had the wherewithal to hop out of the car and spring into action after checking on his client.
Okoski and the snowplow driver broke the windshield of the disabled truck and brought the unconscious driver out of the vehicle to safety. With the driver safely out of harm’s way, Okoski rushed back to his client and was able to deliver her to the airport as scheduled. Apparently this type of act didn’t make the driver’s brag list, as the management only learned of his actions later from the impressed client.
Matt Levine, executive vice president, remarks that this was a “really amazing act by the chauffeur. He put his well-being in jeopardy to ensure another was alright. We’re glad to have him on staff.”
Operating in Connecticut and the tri-state area, Hy's has been in business since 1951. And it's back to business as usual for everyone involved. “We have not checked on the client—who happened to be pregnant—as she was away,” Levine says, “but we will.”
Visit hyslimo.com for more information.
[CD0317]
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Members of the GCLA board with CD Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela (center left) during the organizational meeting
On February 8, Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) continued its annual tradition of heading to Sacramento for a Day on the Hill to discuss with elected officials its most urgent issues and biggest concerns. The event was preceded by a February 7 meeting where board members discussed the legislative day’s focus as well as an array of association matters. CD Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela attended both days of GCLA activities.
Chief among the meeting’s topics were: airport updates, especially the four-month backlog of obtaining operational permits from San Diego International; the state’s consideration of revoking livery industry oversight from the Public Utility Commission, a move supported by GCLA; and how the following day’s legislative endeavor would support the association’s prevailing theme of public safety.
With 21 attendees participating in this year’s Day on the Hill, GCLA was able to send its representatives to more than 30 meetings with elected officials. Armed with talking points and association-supplied information, GCLA spoke with assemblymembers, consultants, senators, and committees about three primary areas of public safety, illustrating how chauffeured ground transportation’s standards go above and beyond TNCs’ considerably more lax requirements.
L to R: GCLA Director Mo Garkani of Continental Limousine, GCLA Treasurer Rick Buell of Diva Limousine, Carlos Garcia of Carlos Transportation Service, and GCLA Director Raphael Sousa of SF Limo Express
To emphasize its commitment to safety measures, the day’s discussions zeroed in on GCLA’s support of SB-20 (“The Bus Safety Bill”), which would require passengers riding in a motorcoach or bus to wear their seatbelts while the vehicle is in motion. Duty of care discrepancies between this industry and TNCs were also highlighted, as was the legislation that the GCLA will be putting forth to allow transportation providers utilization of Department of Justice background checks in an effort to ensure that all chauffeurs are thoroughly screened.
David Kinney of API Global has been actively involved with the GCLA’s legislative efforts in the past, and was pleased with the outcome of his first Day on the Hill as association president.
“The day went really well,” he said. “The most important part was educating our representatives about who the GCLA is. This is the third year we’ve done this, and we’re getting more and more exposure—they know us a little better so they’re getting more responsive to us.”
The GCLA made a video about its Day on the Hill, which can be seen at goo.gl/ZD8sWD.
The association’s next general membership meeting will be March 13 in Las Vegas.
Visit gcla.org for more information. [CD0317]