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Schiller Park, Ill. — The Illinois Limousine Association (ILA) held its annual spring meeting at the Comfort Suites O’Hare Airport on May 20, which saw a full day of updates and guest speakers, as well as the election of the association’s new board of directors. More than 75 people were on hand for the event, which ILA President Tracy Raimer of Your Private Limousine, ILA Secretary and Treasurer Paula DeBiasi, and the rest of the planning committee dedicated much of their time to making a successful one.
The newly elected ILA board of directors Chauffeur Driven Publisher Chris Weiss was present for the meeting. Chauffeur Driven was among the meeting’s roster of sponsors, which also included Nationwide Bus Sales, Battisti Customs, Turtle Top, Chosen Payments, The LMC Group, and Create-A-Card. Vendor and equipment displays were exhibited during the daylong event.
Those serving the ILA for the next term are:
President: Tracy Raimer of Your Private Limousine
Vice President: Greg Eggan of OML Worldwide Transportation
Secretary and Treasurer: Paula DeBiasi of Chicago Coachworks
Directors: Scott Delheimer of Class Act Limousine; Dave Hanus of Reliable Limousine Service; Terrin Lange of Chicago Northshore Limousine; Travis Latham of Fellowship Fleet Limousine and Bus Company; Mary Paul of Crown Chauffeured Services; Arthur Rento of Pontarelli Worldwide Ground Transportation; Chauffeur Driven Publisher Chris Weiss; and Brian Whitaker of Chicagoland Transportation Solutions
Kristen Carroll of The LMC Group spoke at the recent ILA meeting In addition to Kristen Carroll of The LMC Group, who discussed the operational considerations of hourly employees and independent contractors, and attorneys Carrie Hall and Brian Paul of Michael Best & Friedrich, who gave a presentation on the wage and hour issues affecting the transportation industry, much of the meeting comprised an array of guest speakers. The Olive-Harvey College provided an update on its Public Chauffeur Training Program; John Murphy of the Illinois Department of Transportation discussed the department’s audits; and Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Maria Guerra Lapacek spoke about recent developments in the City of Chicago BACP.
The meeting also recognized Barb Simkus for the nearly three decades she spent as ILA’s secretary. While Simkus still works within the industry, she had retired from her position within the association this past winter.
Weiss raffled off two passes to Chauffeur Driven’s upcoming events. Brian Whitaker of Chicagoland Transportation Solutions won the pass to June’s Executive Retreat in Nashville while the pass to October’s Miami Show went to Stuart Rothstein of SMARTCars Worldwide.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
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Nashville pass winner Dan Goff (left) of A Goff Limousine & Bus Company with CD Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela
Charlottesville, Va. — The Virginia Limousine Association (VLA) held an intimate meeting May 11 at the First Colony Winery, which was attended by CD Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela.
VLA President Paul Walsh of Superior Transportation opened the meeting, which launched into a DMV presentation about how TNCs will be legally operative in Virginia starting July 1. The state statute grants enforcement of TNC regulations to the DMV and all law agencies, and all TNC vehicles must have $1 million in insurance coverage while the app is on.
Jagiela then spoke to the assembled VLA members about his role with Chauffeur Driven and how the creation of his position will allow CD to visit with every association at least once a year to explore industry trends and craft education relevant to both the industry and each association’s unique needs.
L to R: VLA 2nd Vice President Andrea Saathoff of Albermarle, VLA Treasurer Pam Tripp of Tripps Travel, CD Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela, xxx, xxx, and Audrey Stroud of Black Tye Limousine
A conference call with NLA President Gary Buffo was also on the agenda, which covered the national association’s Ride Responsibly initiative and the work it’s doing with PR firm EVINS Communication. The NLA is aiming to rebrand while also focusing on the safety of choosing traditional ground transportation over TNCs, and is developing a sticker that can be placed on luxury ground transportation vehicles to identify those currently registered with the association—all 36,000 of them. Buffo went on to say that he is confident that “we will prevail with our efforts against TNCs,” and explained that this year’s Day on the Hill, which will be held June 10, will focus solely on the issues of TNCs.
Andrew Nixon of First Colony Winery, which hosted the meeting, offered tips to make any vineyard tour a successful one before Jagiela raffled off two passes to Chauffeur Driven’s 2015 events. Dan Goff of A Goff Limousine & Bus Company won the Nashville Executive Retreat Pass while Audrey Stroud of Black Tye Limousine was the winner of the Miami Show pass.
The next VLA meeting is scheduled for July 13.
Visit virginialimousineassociation.org for more information.
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Mike Fogarty (left), President of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA), and Bill Rouse, President of the Taxicab Paratransit Association of California (TPAC), presented a united message at the TLPA Spring Conference & Expo and TPAC Annual Convention San Diego — The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association’s (TLPA’s) fourth largest Spring Conference & Expo was held in San Diego, Calif., April 29 through May 2. TLPA President Mike Fogarty of Tristar Worldwide welcomed 366 attendees, including fleet operators, exhibitors, industry experts, and members of the Taxicab Paratransit Association of California (TPAC), which held its Annual Convention in conjunction with TLPA’s meeting.
On the first morning of the event, the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Foundation met to discuss its key initiatives: Transportation On Patrol—a “neighborhood watch on wheels” program that utilizes locally operating taxis, limousines, and paratransit vehicles to serve as additional eyes and ears for the communities they patrol—and its History Video project, which is recording an oral history of the for-hire vehicle industry. That afternoon, the Taxicab and Paratransit Steering committees held open meetings to discuss issues and concerns to be addressed by TLPA during the remainder of 2015, including topics to present at TLPA’s Annual Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas. The opening cocktail reception was held in the exhibit hall later that evening.
After a buffet breakfast in the exhibit hall the next day, attendees were treated to six educational sessions: Why Transportation Bookers Stay and/or Leave a Limousine Network; How to Prepare and Conduct a Paratransit Safety Meeting; Complying with the Affordable Care Act; Taxi Regulatory Reforms Needed to Compete with TNCs; Paratransit Driver Safety Meeting Demonstration; and Public Relations Response to TNCs.
Thursday was also the day the exhibit hall opened, and visiting vendors were available to discuss the exciting new products and services on display. After lunch, the Limousine Steering and the Women in Transportation committees held open meetings to both set their work agendas and select topics for presentation at TLPA’s Annual Convention & Trade Show this fall.
Attendees visited vendors to discuss the exciting new products and services on display in the exhibit hall During the General Session, which was held Thursday afternoon, Fogarty welcomed attendees by stating, “TLPA is the world leader in fighting Uber.” He added that he could not emphasize enough the importance of addressing our industry’s image, and stated how imperative it is to “reach the people not in this room.” He said each attendee should leave the conference determined to improve one thing in his or her operation and service delivery.
TPAC President Bill Rouse also addressed attendees and introduced the keynote speaker, California State Senator Ben Hueso. Senator Hueso, who grew up in the taxicab business in San Diego, called for a level playing field, stressing how unfair it is to have heavily regulated operators competing with new lightly regulated companies that are providing the same service.
The next TLPA event is its 97th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nev., which will be held October 26-30.
Visit tlpa.org for more information.
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