Steve Mau
Brainerd General Rental, Baxter, Minn.
American Rental Association (ARA) general members have approved Steve Mau as the new president-elect for the association. Mau is president and owner, Brainerd General Rental, Baxter, Minn. He most recently served as chair of the Equipment Rental Shared Interest Group.
“I’m very excited to have this opportunity. I had the opportunity to serve on the board for three years and worked on the Executive Committee for two years, so I’ve been exposed to the association, first-hand, working with the board and with the staff. I look forward to continuing to build on the work that is being done,” Mau says.
“The goal of most associations is to harness the collective effort and voice of its membership to identify and address the issues that are most important. The American Rental Association is no different” he says.
“In addition, we need to continue to raise the professional bar of what ARA members present to customers, telling our story to a new audience and helping them take advantage of the value of renting. There is a shifting demographic, and we have to further our ability to communicate what we offer in terms of technology, environmental impact and how we are part of the circular economy,” Mau says.
When Mau becomes president-elect in March 2022, Scott Irwin, president and co-owner, Delux Rental, Ypsilanti, Mich., will become ARA president. Dan Hooks, CERP, president, Party Reflections, Charlotte, N.C., assumes the position of ARA board chair. Beth Hoff Blackmer, president, Aspen Rent-All, Basalt, Colo., will complete her board service.
Associate Member Director
Mary Crosslin
Alert Rental Software, Colorado Springs, Colo.
ARA general and associate members have approved Mary Crosslin as Associate Member director. She succeeds Bryan Bolt, technical solutions manager, TopTec Event Tents, Moore, S.C. Crosslin is co-president and chief operating officer, Alert Rental Software, Colorado Springs, Colo., and most recently served on ARA’s Equipment Rental Shared Interest Group.
Crosslin says she is honored to have been selected as one of the Associate Member directors on the board. “It was an inspirational opportunity to attend the Leadership Conference in November and meet so many of the member volunteers from across North America that make ARA such an incredible organization. I am excited for the start of my term next year and the upcoming initiatives set forth by the board. ARA is going to continue to be impactful on so many fronts,” Crosslin says.
Region Two
Brian Richardson
L & A Tent Rentals, Hamilton, N.J.
Brian Richardson has been approved as ARA’s Region Two director. He will succeed Michael Fitzwater, general manager, Special Events Entertainment, Portsmouth, Va. Richardson is president and CEO, L & A Tent Rentals, Hamilton, N.J. He was an ARA of New Jersey board member from 2010 to 2019 and most recently served as the chair of the ARA Government Affairs Committee from 2019 to 2021.
“During my time on the ARA board, I hope to support ARA’s mission while identifying new opportunities and contributing to continuous improvement of our organization. I am very excited to be part of the board of directors and to work with the ARA staff to continue delivering value to members, providing networking and career growth opportunities to our industry,” Richardson says.
Region Three
John Scott
First Source Equipment Rentals, Burlington, N.C.
John Scott has been approved as ARA’s Region Three director. He will succeed Jeff Crotto, CERP, president, All About Events – Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Fla. Scott is owner and managing partner, First Source Equipment Rentals, Burlington, N.C., and most recently served as chair and as president of ARA of North Carolina.
“ARA is a great organization that truly benefits its members, and I look forward to being a part of helping other members realize how much it could help them. I want to be able to add new ideas and make suggestions that can have a lasting impact on our industry,” Scott says.
Region Nine
Alberto Pianelli
F&B Rentals, Santa Ana, Calif.
Alberto Pianelli has been approved as ARA’s Region Nine director. He will succeed Tony Murray, president, American Rentals, Long Beach, Calif. Pianelli is general manager, F&B Rentals, Santa Ana, Calif., and most recently served as ARA of California president and is a member of the ARA Diversity Focus Group.
“I am excited to be a part of the ARA board and to be a part of making our industry and association better as we continue the great job that our past boards have done to make our association what it is today. I take it seriously that my peers nominated me to represent them, and I am humbled by their confidence in me to do the job. I feel like most members have not tapped into the full amount of resources ARA has to offer, so I am hoping that I can help with that,” Pianelli says.
Irwin makes appointments to ARA board and Executive Committee
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| Robert Pedersen |
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| Angie Venekamp |
Scott Irwin, ARA president-elect who will assume the office of president in 2022, has named Robert Pedersen to the board position of Equipment Rental Shared Interest Group (SIG) co-chair to represent that ARA member segment for a three-year term. Pedersen is president/CEO, A Tool Shed, Santa Cruz, Calif., an ARA member since 1963.
Irwin also has appointed two ARA board members — Pedersen and Angie Venekamp, ARA Region 10 director — to serve a one-year term on the 2022-2023 Executive Committee. Venekamp, who has served on the ARA Board of Directors since 2020, is general manager of Rental Network, Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. Pedersen and Venekamp will join Irwin and Mau on the Executive Committee, along with current president Dan Hooks, CERP, who assumes the board chair position in 2022.
The following officer and directors will complete their terms on the board in the spring of 2022:
- Beth Hoff Blackmer, ARA board chair and president, Aspen Rent-All, Basalt, Colo.
- Bryan Bolt, ARA Associate Member director and technical solutions manager, TopTec Event Tents, Moore, S.C.
- Michael Fitzwater, ARA Region Two director and general manager, Special Events Entertainment, Portsmouth, Va.
- Jeff Crotto, CERP, ARA Region Three director and president, All About Events – Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Fla.
- Tony Murray, ARA Region Nine director and president, American Rentals, Long Beach, Calif.
- Tim Allen, ARA Equipment Rental SIG co-chair and managing member, Allen Rental, Roseburg, Ore.