Directors of the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence, the long-range research arm of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), during its Spring Meeting in Washington, DC, this week, elected:
 
Ron Calhoun as Chairman of the NAW Institute Board. Mr. Calhoun is President and CEO of The Palmer-Donavin Mfg., Co., a wholesaler-distributor of residential building materials in the Midwest, and headquartered in Grove City, Ohio. Mr. Calhoun succeeds Joseph Nettemeyer, President and CEO of Valin Corporation, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
 
Says Mr. Calhoun of his new post, “Our management team at Palmer-Donavin has read several of the NAW Institute’s research studies over the years and gotten valuable results. I believe the NAW Institute continues to do groundbreaking research and I look forward to working as its Chairman and contributing to its ongoing research work for our industry.”

In addition to Mr. Calhoun’s election, the following wholesale distribution industry leaders were elected as Directors of the NAW Institute Board for four-year terms:

Victor R. Jury, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Summit Electric Supply, headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Summit Electric is an independent, privately held, wholesaler-distributor of industrial electrical equipment and supplies with locations in the Southwest United States and the Middle East.

 
Joseph S. Poehling, Chairman and CEO, First Supply LLC, headquartered in La Crosse, Wisconsin. First Supply LLC is a distributor of plumbing, heating, industrial, utility, pump, well, and building supplies serving contractor, industrial, and home center accounts in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, Northern Illinois, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
 
Joseph M. Thompson, Jr., Founder and CEO of Thompson Management Associates, LLC, headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. TMA is an association management firm serving seven industry trade associations, including several representing wholesale distribution companies. Mr. Thompson is Executive Vice President of The Association for Hose & Accessories Distribution.
 
Re-elected to the NAW Institute Board was:
 
Doug York, President and CEO
Ewing Irrigation Products Inc.
 
The balance of the NAW Institute Board includes:
 
Tim Buche, President and CEO
Motorcycle Industry Council
 
Talbot Gee, Executive Vice President and COO
Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International
 
Kevin Kampe, President
Womack Machine Supply Co.
 
Patricia Lilly, Executive Director
Fluid Power Distributors Association
Security Hardware Distributors Association
Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association
 
Jeff McLendon, President
U.S. Lumber Group
 
Michael Medart, President and CEO
Medart Marine
 
Thomas Naber, President and CEO
National Association of Electrical Distributors
George Pattee, Chairman
Parksite, Inc.
 
Larry Stoddard, President and CEO
RelaDyne
 
Ralph Suppa, President and General Manager
Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating
 
Bruce Zwicker, President and CEO
JJ Haines & Co. Inc.