G. Stephen Slagle, CAE, PPAI President and CEO, Announces Retirement

G. Stephen Slagle, CAE, president and CEO of Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), Irving, Texas, announced his intention to retire after 15 years of service to the association and his 32-year association management career. He will retire in January 2012.

Board chairman Eric E. Ekstrand, MAS, thanked Slagle for his outstanding service to the association and the promotional products industry at large. "You have worked with the board over the years to make PPAI a truly first-class association and promotional products a viable and thriving cornerstone of the advertising and communications industry," said Ekstrand.

In announcing his retirement, Slagle said, "I am very thankful for the opportunity and the support the board has given me over the years to lead an incredible organization such as Promotional Products Association International. Association management is a business that I have dedicated my life to, and I can't think of a better place to have been during these recent years of dramatic change and challenges to our industry. We have met these challenges because of the leadership of the board and the efforts of our tremendous group of employees. They are truly the backbone of PPAI, and they make their mark every day on the service we provide to our members and the industry worldwide."

Slagle joined PPAI in 1996 as the president and chief executive officer. He was selected by the board to serve as president and CEO following the retirement of H. Ted Olson, MAS, president of PPAI, previously known as Specialty Advertising Association International. Olson served as president from 1979 to 1996.

Prior to joining PPAI, Slagle served as executive director of the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) headquartered in Columbia, S.C., for 13 years as well as director of communications for four years. He also served as an account executive for an advertising and public relations firm, general manager of a direct marketing company, commercial printing company account executive and retail merchandising associate. He earned the designation of Certified Association Executive (CAE) from the American Society of Association Executives in 1991.