Allow us to introduce you to our Wearables 2008 Editorial
Advisory Board. Everyone has graciously agreed to let us bounce
ideas off them to help make Wearables the best it can
be this year. To get the ball rolling, we asked them a question:
What’s the biggest challenge the wearables industry will
face this year? Read some of their responses below.
LORI
ANDERSON is marketing manager for River’s
End Trading Co. (asi/82588). She has a bachelor’s
degree from Minnesota State University-Mankato in business
and marketing. She’s been with River’s End
for nine years.
GINA
BARRECA is director of marketing for Vantage
Apparel (asi/93390). She has more than 13 years
of promotional apparel sales, marketing and merchandising
experience; she joined Vantage’s sales team in
1994. Her latest efforts have been focused on enriching
the suite of embellishment options and materials available
to Vantage customers. Barreca graduated from the University
of Delaware with a degree in marketing and economics.
DAVID
BEBON, who’s worked for 27 years
in the textile and garment manufacturing industries, is
executive vice president and director of special markets
for Capital Mercury Apparel (asi/43788), and has
been with the company since 1992. Capital Mercury brings
the Bill Blass Premium, Arnold Palmer Golf and NYNE brands
to the promotional marketplace.
ANITA BROOKS is the owner and president of ASB Marketing, LLC (asi/202900), a distributor affiliated with Geiger. Prior to establishing her business in 1991, Brooks was an account executive for a legal placement firm as well as a marketing manager for a large hotel chain, both in Washington, D.C. She is active in several chamber of commerces as well as the Lighthouse and Pascagoula chapters of Business and Professional Women/USA. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Marketing from the University of Maryland in 1983, and her MBA from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1996.
JAY BUSSELLE, general manager of Phoenix-based Digital Art Solutions, began his graphics career at the age of 14, printing bootleg surf, skateboard and band T-shirts. After learning valuable lessons about copyright law, Jay landed a real job as a cut-and-paste artist for the Yellow Pages. It wasn't long before Jay saw the advantages of working for his parents’ screen-printing and promotional product agency. Jay developed into top-producing sales professional, and 28 years later has almost grown up.
ANTHONY
CORSANO began his career with Anvil Knitwear (asi/36350) 28
years ago as a sales trainee. When he joined Anvil, the
company was selling 25,000 dozen shirts a week. Today it
sells 200,000 dozen. Corsano has served as a national sales
manager, executive vice president of sales and marketing,
president and COO, and finally last year, was promoted
to CEO.
GREGG EMMER is vice president and chief marketing officer for Kaeser & Blair Inc., where he has been since 1991. He instituted the company's ongoing educational programs that same year and launched the K&B Century Club three years later. The Century Club caters to full time high sales volume professionals. Emmer started in the promotional advertising industry with a N.J.-based distributor in 1969. By 1971 he was in Ohio and worked seven years on the supplier side of the industry. In 1971, he started a promotional distributorship in conjunction with a graphic communications company. He is also the owner of a business consulting and public relations company that has worked with industry suppliers and many businesses outside the promotional industry. He has authored many sales and marketing training programs and writes articles for several industry publications including Counselor and Wearables magazines. He is an avid cyclist and an award-winning theatrical set designer.
JULIE
HARMS is the key supplier contact for Counselor Top
40 distributor HALO Branded Solutions and Lee Wayne (asi/356000).
Harms has worked in various sales and customer service
roles during an 18-year industry career, including the
development of the company’s apparel department and
assuming the position of apparel team leader. Harms now
serves as supplier relations administrator.
MARC
HELD is one
of the most energetic speakers in the apparel industry
today. He’s trained thousands of industry salespeople
with his turbo-charged presentations, conveying his knowledge
learned over 13 years in the promotional products, screen-printing,
embroidery and sporting goods industries. As national sales
director at Bodek and Rhodes (asi/40788), he consistently
earns the highest in speaking marks, but also numerous
sales honors including the Advertising Specialty Institute’s
Rep of the Year in 2007 and Rep of the Year honors from
Adventures in Advertising franchises two years in a row.
He’s been an accomplished wearables educator, as
one of the pioneers of Bodek and Rhodes’ Wearables
University training series since 1999.
TARAYNN LLOYD is the marketing director for Edwards Garment (asi/51752). She has 30 years of marketing experience in various industries, including transportation, non-residential construction products, health-care services and shopping center malls. She has been with Edwards for six years and holds a BS in Business and Economics from Central Michigan University.
GREG
MUZZILLO is
the founder of Proforma (asi/300094) and PFG Ventures.
Under his guidance, the distributor franchising operations
have grown to more than 600 owners. Prior to founding and
expanding Proforma/PFG Ventures, Muzzillo was with the
auditing firm of Haskins and Sells.
VERA MUZZILLO,
co-CEO of Proforma (asi/300094), joined the company
in 2001 and is focused on maximizing development opportunities
and providing oversight to the banking, cash management,
credit, financial, operations and technology aspects of the
company. Previously with Comerica Bank and as an independent
business consultant, Muzzillo brings more than 15 years of
commercial and investment banking as well as business consulting,
lending and credit experience to Proforma.
CLARE
SPIEGEL is the founder of Summerfield,
FL-based image consultancy Your New Image. Having owned
five women’s fashion stores, hosted/produced her
own show for radio and television, and written two books,
she has more than 30 years of fashion-consultancy experience.
Now a board member for The Association of Image Consultants
International, she holds the organization’s most
prestigious title, CIP. Spiegel also serves on the American
Business Women’s Association’s board of directors,
and was named one of the top ten business women in the
nation in1995. Spiegel also is a runway, commercial and
lifestyle model.
LORI
ANDERSON is marketing manager for River’s
End Trading Co. (asi/82588). She has a bachelor’s
degree from Minnesota State University-Mankato in business
and marketing. She’s been with River’s End
for nine years.
GINA
BARRECA is director of marketing for Vantage
Apparel (asi/93390). She has more than 13 years
of promotional apparel sales, marketing and merchandising
experience; she joined Vantage’s sales team in
1994. Her latest efforts have been focused on enriching
the suite of embellishment options and materials available
to Vantage customers. Barreca graduated from the University
of Delaware with a degree in marketing and economics.
DAVID
BEBON, who’s worked for 27 years
in the textile and garment manufacturing industries, is
executive vice president and director of special markets
for Capital Mercury Apparel (asi/43788), and has
been with the company since 1992. Capital Mercury brings
the Bill Blass Premium, Arnold Palmer Golf and NYNE brands
to the promotional marketplace.
ANITA BROOKS is the owner and president of ASB Marketing, LLC (asi/202900), a distributor affiliated with Geiger. Prior to establishing her business in 1991, Brooks was an account executive for a legal placement firm as well as a marketing manager for a large hotel chain, both in Washington, D.C. She is active in several chamber of commerces as well as the Lighthouse and Pascagoula chapters of Business and Professional Women/USA. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Marketing from the University of Maryland in 1983, and her MBA from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1996.
JAY BUSSELLE, general manager of Phoenix-based Digital Art Solutions, began his graphics career at the age of 14, printing bootleg surf, skateboard and band T-shirts. After learning valuable lessons about copyright law, Jay landed a real job as a cut-and-paste artist for the Yellow Pages. It wasn't long before Jay saw the advantages of working for his parents’ screen-printing and promotional product agency. Jay developed into top-producing sales professional, and 28 years later has almost grown up.
ANTHONY
CORSANO began his career with Anvil Knitwear (asi/36350) 28
years ago as a sales trainee. When he joined Anvil, the
company was selling 25,000 dozen shirts a week. Today it
sells 200,000 dozen. Corsano has served as a national sales
manager, executive vice president of sales and marketing,
president and COO, and finally last year, was promoted
to CEO. 
GREGG EMMER is vice president and chief marketing officer for Kaeser & Blair Inc., where he has been since 1991. He instituted the company's ongoing educational programs that same year and launched the K&B Century Club three years later. The Century Club caters to full time high sales volume professionals. Emmer started in the promotional advertising industry with a N.J.-based distributor in 1969. By 1971 he was in Ohio and worked seven years on the supplier side of the industry. In 1971, he started a promotional distributorship in conjunction with a graphic communications company. He is also the owner of a business consulting and public relations company that has worked with industry suppliers and many businesses outside the promotional industry. He has authored many sales and marketing training programs and writes articles for several industry publications including Counselor and Wearables magazines. He is an avid cyclist and an award-winning theatrical set designer. 
JULIE
HARMS is the key supplier contact for Counselor Top
40 distributor HALO Branded Solutions and Lee Wayne (asi/356000).
Harms has worked in various sales and customer service
roles during an 18-year industry career, including the
development of the company’s apparel department and
assuming the position of apparel team leader. Harms now
serves as supplier relations administrator.
MARC
HELD is one
of the most energetic speakers in the apparel industry
today. He’s trained thousands of industry salespeople
with his turbo-charged presentations, conveying his knowledge
learned over 13 years in the promotional products, screen-printing,
embroidery and sporting goods industries. As national sales
director at Bodek and Rhodes (asi/40788), he consistently
earns the highest in speaking marks, but also numerous
sales honors including the Advertising Specialty Institute’s
Rep of the Year in 2007 and Rep of the Year honors from
Adventures in Advertising franchises two years in a row.
He’s been an accomplished wearables educator, as
one of the pioneers of Bodek and Rhodes’ Wearables
University training series since 1999. 
TARAYNN LLOYD is the marketing director for Edwards Garment (asi/51752). She has 30 years of marketing experience in various industries, including transportation, non-residential construction products, health-care services and shopping center malls. She has been with Edwards for six years and holds a BS in Business and Economics from Central Michigan University.
GREG
MUZZILLO is
the founder of Proforma (asi/300094) and PFG Ventures.
Under his guidance, the distributor franchising operations
have grown to more than 600 owners. Prior to founding and
expanding Proforma/PFG Ventures, Muzzillo was with the
auditing firm of Haskins and Sells.
CLARE
SPIEGEL is the founder of Summerfield,
FL-based image consultancy Your New Image. Having owned
five women’s fashion stores, hosted/produced her
own show for radio and television, and written two books,
she has more than 30 years of fashion-consultancy experience.
Now a board member for The Association of Image Consultants
International, she holds the organization’s most
prestigious title, CIP. Spiegel also serves on the American
Business Women’s Association’s board of directors,
and was named one of the top ten business women in the
nation in1995. Spiegel also is a runway, commercial and
lifestyle model.
