PPAI Announces 2015 Hall of Fame Inductees

Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the not-for-profit association serving more than 10,800 corporate members of the $19.8 billion promotional products industry, recently announced Fran Ford, CAS, and Paul Kiewiet, MAS+, as the 2015 PPAI Hall of Fame inductees. Induction ceremonies for Ford and Kiewiet will take place at The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, Jan. 11-15, 2015, during the Chairman's Leadership Dinner.

"It is a great privilege to recognize such an exceptional pair of honorees and celebrate their contributions and accomplishments to the promotional products industry," said Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI president and CEO. "These incredibly generous and gifted professionals have created some of the most distinguished and influential work in our history. Their legacies are indelible and timeless, and their leadership will continue to influence and embolden future generations in this industry."

For more than 38 years, Ford, president of supplier Castelli North America, Sparks, Nev., has been a mentor, advisor, volunteer and valued advocate for the promotional products industry. His service includes Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) chair from 2002 to 2003 and PPEF Board Trustee from 2000 to 2004. He served as a volunteer fundraiser on a PPEF sub-committee, the Tomorrow Fund, in its inaugural year, and raised more than $1 million in support for the foundation. He has also been the driving force and chair of the PPEF Glen Holt Scholarship Golf Invitational, yielding thousands of dollars in support of the industry's scholarship fund.

"I cannot begin to describe the wave of emotions I have felt since being notified of my selection to the PPAI Hall of Fame," Ford said. "A 'thank you' is not enough to express my gratitude to all of the people [who] made this possible. I am blessed to have so many people allow me to be a part of their lives. I am truly honored to stand with all of the pioneers who have shaped our industry and have a place in our Hall of Fame, and [I'm] proud to be a part of the legacy in the years to come."

A dedicated industry champion, Ford has volunteered on numerous PPAI committees and action groups and shared his vast knowledge as a speaker, organizer and fundraiser for a number of regional associations and professional organizations. He has been recognized with awards for Most Influential People, Volunteerism, Lifetime Achievement, Mentorship and Person of the Year.

In his community, Ford has helped organize events and raise funds for numerous educational and philanthropic campaigns including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Mental Health Association of Arizona, Major League Soccer's Dribble, Juggle and Kick campaign, and many more.

Kiewiet, executive director of Michigan Promotional Professionals Association (MiPPA), has a long history as a speaker, coach, consultant and volunteer in the promotional products industry, and he founded the Kalamazoo-based distributor Promotion Concepts. Kiewiet has served in a volunteer capacity with MiPPA and PPAChicago, as well as on countless boards, committees and advisory groups, and as chairman of the board of PPAI from 2007 to 2008. As PPAI chairman, Kiewiet increased the international scope of the association and raised awareness of socially responsible sourcing and quality initiatives. In 2010 he was inducted into the MiPPA Hall of Fame.

"I am truly humbled and excited to receive this incredible honor," said Kiewiet. "I love this industry and have been touched and inspired by so many wonderful people who give so much for so many. This honor means so much to me."

A member of the National Speakers Association, Kiewiet is an international speaker as well as a frequent contributor to trade publications. He has been awarded six Pyramid Awards from PPAI, and as a prolific author and writer he has been the recipient of the SNAP Excel Award for excellence in magazine writing, and a 2013 Folio Award for Outstanding Magazine Article, "Take a Bite Out of Other Advertising Media."

Kiewiet has served as an elder, Sunday school teacher and community health clinic board member and advisor at First Presbyterian Church in Kalamazoo. Today, the Free Health Clinic of Kalamazoo continues to serve the community, save lives and make a positive impact.

For more information, visit www.ppai.org.