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Professional Awning Manufacturers Association is thrilled to be part of Advanced Textiles Association’s Shade and Awnings News as we will be writing about pertinent industry topics on a quarterly basis. Our goal is to provide a collective voice discussing things that we believe are important for our industry, from the perspective of our elected board of advisors.
As officers of PAMA, we are honored to be trusted with our leadership roles and work hard to promote a healthy and growing awning and shade market. Open discussions are a vital part of that and we foresee this as the perfect platform to share insight with our members through education. We also understand the importance of listening to our members and hope you will reach out to us to discuss particular topics and/or suggest other potential topic ideas moving forward.
But first I wanted to take the time to formally introduce you to each of our board members:
Chairman, Brett Baird (VP of Sales, TriVantage) has been part of the PAMA board since 2017 and an active member in our industry for over 35 years. Brett currently lives in Atlanta with his wife of 35 years and their two daughters (33 and 31) who also call Atlanta home.
Vice Chair, James Dillport (Vice President, Maple Leaf Awning and Canvas) has been with his company since 2017; during which time has ushered the growth needed to meet the demands of their customers in the Arkansas market. James brings this same dedication to quality and innovation to our board and as upcoming Chair we are excited to see what the future holds.
Scott Neville (Owner, Kansas City T&A and Welhener Awning Co) started off in construction finance back in 2003, but soon became a part of the awning community when he purchased an awning company in Missouri in 2008…the first of three awning shop acquisitions! He is a problem-solver at heart and loves spending time with his wife, three children and close family.
Travis Jenkins (Owner, Charlotte Tent & Awning Company) has worked in the awning manufacturing industry for nearly 20 years; starting as an installer in 2006 and advancing over the years and ultimately purchased the company in 2018. Travis enjoys spending his free time with his wife and young son.
Dan Litster (Regional Sales Manager, Glen Raven Material Solutions) has been an active part of our industry for nearly 34 years. He just recently became a board member with the MFPA and has served on the PAMA Board since 2019. He is involved in his church, enjoys pheasant hunting, fly fishing and spending time with his wife and 15-year-old daughter.
Buddy Sliva (Regional Sales Manager, Herculite) has over 20 years of experience in the textile industry working in sales, marketing and business development. He also serves on the WCPA board and in his free time does volunteer work for his Men’s Mission Group.
Hank Proctor (Vice President of Operations, Ohio Awning Co.) first joined our industry as a teenager working for Huntington Awning. He took a break to play soccer and earn his degree from Marshall University, but soon returned when he started working for The Astrup Company back in 1981. Hank will be retiring this year, and we want to thank him for everything he has done to help our wonderful industry…Cheers Hank!
Immediate Past Chair, Tim Kellogg (Owner, Capital City Awning) has been an active part of our industry for over 38 years. With a BS in engineering and MBA in business, Tim has played a pivotal role in shaping the direction of our association.
And lastly, there is myself, John Tavano, vice president of sales, The Miami Corporation. I have been on the PAMA board since 2019 and a part of this industry we all love so much since 2009. I currently serve as the First Vice President for the NECPA, where I will begin my term as President in 2025. I am an avid, albeit mediocre, golfer and I enjoy spending my free time with my wife, our two young children and our family dog in Connecticut. I am very much looking forward to our future conversations!