MESSAGE FROM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: CHARLES HALL
ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE JOINS SOUTHERN TEAM
THE SOUTHERN FAMILY In my brief time with The Southern, I have learned this association, more than any other I have worked with, is a family. At the Mid-Year Meeting I had the pleasure of getting to know many of you and experienced firsthand what this family is all about: love, respect, kindness and fun! And like a lot of families, we have a reunion every year, ours just happens to be filled with great networking, speakers and business deals. The Annual Meeting comes at a perfect time as we look to each other on what the ‘new normal’ is amidst one of the worst pandemics the world has ever seen, and certainly the worst our generation has lived through. This year’s family reunion will also be different than in years past, and not just because of COVID-19. It will be different due to the passing of one our dearest family members, Greg Martin. There’s no doubt we will miss his presence. As his memorial tribute said, “It’s hard to imagine this journey without him, but our stories are all better because of him.” Greg was our brother and our quarterback. His retired jersey will always hang in a place of honor for The Southern. Although we lost a key member of our team, The Southern forges on. We forge on because of the familial bonds that have been built for nearly 100 years. In fact, I see a lot of similarities between The Southern and another storied organization based in the south, the South14 | THE SOUTHERN 97TH ANNUAL MEETING • 2020
eastern Conference, specifically SEC football. We all know any good SEC team needs great players. In fact, 15 out of the 32 first round picks in this year’s NFL draft were from the SEC. Of those 15 picks, two quarterbacks from the conference were taken in the top 10. Suffice to say, quarterbacks play a huge role on the team, but it’s also the linemen, wide receivers, defensive backs and others who make up the fabric of the team, just as it’s the wholesalers, distributors, suppliers and manufacturers who make up The Southern’s quilt. It is The Southern team that has been winning for the past nine decades, working together with the same tradition of excellence and family as a great football program. As we look ahead to what the ‘new normal’ is for our industry there’s one thing we can all count on, The Southern family will continue to be what it has been for the past 97 years and what it will be as it heads into its next 100 years: loving, respectful, kind and fun! VJ and I are proud to be joining Betsy on Team Southern, but more importantly, we’re honored to be The Southern’s newest family members. See you in Panama City,
Charles
VJ Mayor, CAE has a strong background working with trade associations, and is excited to help The Southern enhance its operational capacity. A career association executive, Mayor spent eight years with the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) and four years with the National Confectioners Association (NCA), helping the 100+ yearold organizations create member value and first-class events. “The familial ties that bind The Southern are unlike anything I have ever seen for a trade association,” says Mayor. “I am honored to join such a prestigious organization and look forward to contributing to its next 100 years of success.” During his 14 years of association work, he has been recognized by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in the 2012-2014 Diversity Executive Leadership Class, named to Association Forum’s (national industry magazine) 40 under 40 in 2016 and accredited as a Certified Association Executive (CAE).
