OPEESA Welcomes New Director

The Outdoor Power Equipment Engine Service Association (OPEESA) added some muscle to its mission to bolster distributor members and drafted a new executive director to steer the organization. Nancy Cueroni joined the association as director in January, toting an extensive background in association management, two-step distribution and communications.

Cueroni’s background in marine distribution – also a two-step industry – lends itself to the organization, points out Mark Lofton, vice president. For the past four years, she has served as executive director for the National Marine Distributors Association. “There is a lot of crossover,” Lofton says, noting that her dynamic personality fits the group’s focus. “She’s a ball of fire – and our members will enjoy working with her.

Meanwhile, OPEESA has plenty on the agenda for its new director to dig into, after the board revised its mission statement at an annual meeting. The organization adopted a new tagline: “Powering Distributor Success,” president Lynn Matson noted in a letter to OPEESA members. Strengthening member services and promoting certification through a partnership with the Engine & Equipment Training Council (EETC) are two of the association’s focal points for 2004, he outlined.

Some of the member services OPEESA wants to explore include freight consolidation and less expensive credit card charges, Lofton said. “We want to refocus our efforts on marketing and the certification effort with EETC,” added Lofton, who will become president of the organization at the annual meeting Feb. 28-March 3 in Orlando, Fla.

The author is editor of Commercial Dealer magazine and can be reached at khampshire@commercialdealer.com.