By Kimberly Elardo
Time flies when you’re having fun! It seems like just the other day we were sitting around a conference room voting on the 25th Anniversary logo. It was an honor to serve as PRPLI’s President during that time, and to have served on the board from 2008 – 2016.
I truly have such fond memories of my time as a board member and of course, as president. The friendships and connections I have made through PRPLI are countless.
I have to thank my former boss, Luis Portiansky for introducing me to PRPLI, and for showing me the importance of networking and getting involved with the board. I would also like to thank Lee Peretz for providing me with the opportunity to interview for the marketing manager position at Anchin, which has been my “home” for the past six years. Like they say, it’s all about who you know…
My first memory of PRPLI was the 2006 Awards Gala, which just so happened to be my first real networking event. Luis was unable to attend, so I went by myself. As daunting as that was, I remember walking outside for networking portion and was introduced to Laura O’Connell and the Young Professionals crew. Everyone was so welcoming; it was hard to not love this group right away.
I’d be remiss not to mention the annual board holiday celebration at Louise’s home. Louise graciously hosted this board meeting/holiday celebration for many years. Everything was just perfect from the company, to the food and desserts, to the lovely holiday décor.
Another favorite memory was bringing my 5-month-old son Christopher (CC) to the 2016 Annual Meeting. Looking back, that was pretty courageous. And we have a picture to prove it!
I give the current board a lot of credit for being able to pivot to virtual events this past year to keep members informed and connected during such challenging times. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Awards Gala– hopefully in-person!
Keep up the good work, PRPLI. Here’s to the next 30!
