John Burrows Elected Chair of the International Association of Movers

John Burrows of DeWitt Move Worldwide is IAM’s new Chair after being elected to the position by the IAM Premier Members on October 12th. Read more about John and the rest of the successful candidates in the latest version of the Portal Magazine.

John succeeds Mike Richardson from Senate Forwarding Inc. as Chair who served on the Executive Committee for twenty years. Thank you to Mike for his longtime service to IAM and devotion to advancing our Association.

Stephan Geurts Jr. of GovLog, N.V. was elected as Vice Chair of IAM. Stephan Jr. is the first non-American to assume this position.

Adam Hall of Coleman Worldwide Moving, Jacob Pieroni of Central Van Lines, and Susan Staszewski of National Van Lines were all re-elected to the position of Premier Member-At-Large. Lakelan Fennell of Suddath Government Services won his first election to the Executive Committee as a Premier Member-At-Large.

Brittany Brooks Elected Chair of IAM’s United States Domestic Asset-Based (DAB) Mover Group

Following the results of an online election conducted this summer, Brittany Brooks of Conser Group is now the Chair of the DAB Mover Group. She takes over from Chris Lantz of Bekins Moving Solutions who led the DAB as Chair for the past two years. We are grateful for Chris’ energy and leadership when driving the DAB forward.

Caleb McCartney of Cornerstone Moving and Storage was also elected Vice Chair.

Brian Limperopulos announced as the New IAM President

Among the many events and meetings at the IAM Annual Meeting & Expo, probably the most impactful is the retirement of Chuck White and the appointment of Brian Limperopulos to the position of President of the Association. Read Brian’s thoughts about how IAM will continue to serve its members and tackle big industry challenges in the future.

Relive the Excitement of the 61st Annual Meeting & Expo

Watch our amazing Retrospective Video and check to see if you made the final cut!

2023 Annual Meeting & Expo a Huge Success

With nearly 1900 attendees, the 2023 IAM Annual Meeting & Expo was met with huge success. Final numbers are forthcoming but as of right now, it seems that it might have set a record for attendance. Toronto was well-regarded as a positive place to have the meeting, and members the staff have spoken with have expressed positive views of the meeting overall.

IAM has sent out a survey to attendees. If you attended and have not yet filled out the survey, please do so now. This survey allows us to fine-tune the event for future years and to ensure that we continue to deliver high-quality events that both meet your needs and offer opportunities for an enjoyable experience.

The only thing left to do at present is to add our date to your calendar for next year: Oct. 14-17, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Prestigious Awards from the Annual Meeting & Expo

The Excellence in Leadership Award

The IAM Leadership Alliance Program announces Marcel Jörg (Gosselin) as the 2024 recipient of The Excellence in Leadership Award.

This prestigious award recognizes Marcel's transformative leadership and his dedication to fostering a team spirit that supports continuous learning.

What makes this award unique is the judging process, which removes all self-identifying information about candidates, ensuring an unbiased evaluation based on merit alone. Marcel's colleagues noted that his impact has been profound, and his dedication to promoting equality, employee well-being, and work-life balance is admirable.

Barbara Savelli, a team member under Marcel's guidance, shares, "Marcel's extraordinary listening and empathetic leadership style has propelled not just my growth, but many, guiding us gently towards his vision without imposition. He has fostered a sense of belonging, allowing us to maintain our unique identities within Gosselin's diverse and dynamic landscape."

Congratulations, Marcel! Your award is a testament to your incredible leadership and impact on the global moving and mobility industry.

IAM-YP Rising Star Award 

Congratulations to Lennert de Jong (Gosselin Group N.V.) on being honored with the IAM-YP Rising Star Award. Selected by a group of peers, this award recognizes a YP who embodies the mission of the IAM-YP community to provide global moving and mobility professionals under 40 with professional development, networking, and philanthropic opportunities to prepare the current membership to lead IAM and the industry in the future.

Lennert's inspirational acceptance speech emphasized the importance of stepping out of one's comfort zone, embracing vulnerability, and building meaningful relationships in an increasingly polarized world.

The IAM-YP community's 400 members are committed to supporting the industry's future leaders. Well done, Lennert! Congratulations on this amazing achievement

Top Five News Stories You Might Have Missed

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4. Drought and low Amazon water levels prevent liner access to Manaus
5. The ‘double-edged sword’ that makes shipping an 'easy target’ for cyber crime

Get more news like this on IAM's LinkedIn page.

Record volume of cases rain in at the Federal Maritime Commission

From Splash 247:

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has a record number of cases. The latest complaint comes not from a shipper but from China’s BAL Container Line, which has taken SSA Marine Terminal to task over its decision to levy congestion surcharges.

“Complainant alleges these violations arose from an assessment of a flat rate congestion surcharge without a stated relationship to actual terminal congestion and continued assessment of congestion surcharges while containers were placed in inaccessible terminal areas,” a document from the FMC stated.

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Chuck Bailey of Cornerstone Moving & Storage LLC Appointed to Lead IAM Ethics Council

IAM is pleased to announce that Chuck Bailey, President and Owner of Cornerstone Moving & Storage LLC, has been appointed to serve as Chair of IAM’s Ethics Council. Chuck replaces Tony Waugh, DeWitt Move Worldwide, who stepped in to serve after the passing of former Ethics Council Chair, Rick Curry. We thank Tony for his many years of service to IAM and welcome Chuck to the helm.

IAM President Brian Limperopulos remarked, “We are thrilled to have Chuck Bailey lead the Ethics Council. With Chuck’s extensive industry experience and leadership, the Council is in good hands and will continue to serve as the leading experts for the Association on Code of Ethics issues and help IAM achieve its mission and strategic priority to advance the professionalism and operational excellence of IAM members.”

Upcoming Webcasts You Need to Know About

Between free webcasts and specialized courses, IAM Learning is here to help provide you with the knowledge and information to drive the growth of your company. Check out what webcasts are coming up and what courses are available for you below (some are free):

Upcoming IAM Webcast

• Nov. 8 - US Government & Military Affairs Update
• Nov. 14 - IAM Member Hangout Session
• Nov. 16 - Networking Like a Pro! Maximizing Your Conference Investment

Recent Webcasts You Can Watch Now

• Exploring Trends, Innovation, and Generational Dynamics
• Protecting Your Move: Uncovering the Dark Side of the Moving Industry
• Invisible Champions: Recognizing the Unsung Heroes Who Drive Organizational Success from Behind the Scenes

Courses You May Have Missed

• Liability, Transit Insurance & Claims Management - Free, thanks to Reason Global Insurance, Ltd.
• IOMI - Certified Office Mover Training Course
• Leadership Training Program
• Lithium Batteries Transportation Course

Portal Magazine

In every issue of the Portal, we invite our authors to share their experiences, success stories, learning experiences, and vision with others in the moving and forwarding industry. In addition to our regular columns, feature articles for each issue are united by a central theme.

The theme: "Think globally, act locally" chosen by the IAM-YP Management Board encourages considering global consequences and making a positive impact in local communities.

Submit your story today for the upcoming edition of the Portal Magazine. Contact Portal Editor Will Kohudic if you have any questions or want to send him your article.

Circle Freight International (Bahrain) Wll Ceases Operations

On Oct. 19, IAM was notified that Circle Freight International (Bahrain) Wll (Manama, Bahrain) has ceased operations. RPP compensation claims may be submitted until February 16, 2024. For guidelines on RPP compensation eligibility, please review RPP Operating Rules and Regulations.

Upcoming Industry Events

Is your calendar up to date? See IAM's Events Calendar to stay abreast of the various conferences and industry meetings. Want to add an event? Contact IAM's Carl Weaver.

IAM Membership Updates

• New Members This Month
• Prospective Members for Next Month
• Alleged Debtor List
• Voluntary Cancellations List
• Companies known to be misusing the IAM logo

Member News

Jason Paschel Named President of Champion International Moving, Ltd.

Jason Paschel has been appointed as the new President & COO of Champion International Moving, Ltd., effective Dec. 4. This significant move is aligned with Rudy Planavsky's retirement, set for the end of this year.

Jason is no stranger to Champion. He embarked on his journey in 2009, serving initially as a Regional Manager for International Business Development. Within a year, he was promoted to Senior Account Manager. Most recently, Jason was Director of Sales and made impactful contributions as a key member of the senior management team.

Gosselin Introduces new Eco-Friendly Moving Box: Notabrownbox

Gosselin unveiled a new universal moving box at the IAM (International Association of Movers) exhibition in Toronto, Canada. Notabrownbox is a moving box made from recycled cardboard that can be reused up to 4 times.

"Almost all moving boxes worldwide are printed with the logo of the moving company and used only once. By designing a brand-free box made of thicker cardboard, we want to encourage movers to reuse and share their moving boxes," says Madeline Van der Rhee, Benelux Manager, who initiated the development of the Notabrownbox concept.

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