MRC Volunteer Opportunities

Have you ever wondered how to get more involved in the SEMA Manufacturers Rep Council (MRC)?

What exactly do the council leaders do throughout their term? Very simply, the Select Committee is elected by the members of the council to serve a two-year term. They participate in monthly conference calls and meetings that are held at various trade events throughout the year. Each Select committee member volunteers for at least 20 hours throughout the year and some volunteer even more. Some share their experience and vision, others provide creative solutions to challenges our member companies are facing, and others get their hands dirty and get it done. Each Select Committee member is supported by their company in their MRC efforts and for that we say “thank you” to those companies!

The leaders of the MRC gathered at the 2009 PWA Conference in Phoenix, AZ for its annual Long Range Planning meeting.  This meeting focused on bringing value to the MRC Member companies. The last 18 months have been extremely challenging for all of our companies, and the council is dedicated to utilizing SEMA’s resources to further benefit each MRC member.

Guiding the group’s effort was the council’s mission statement to provide market information, education and support to members concerning new and emerging trends. A handful of exciting objectives are being developed for the council for 2010. If you are passionate and have interest in being involved, there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for a Task Force with a limited investment of time, but provides a great way to network and share your ideas. Please reach out to the Task Force Chair if you want to participate or have comments.

Awards Task Force
Irv Cohen (SS Sales & Marketing) chairs this task force and can be reached at irvco@msn.com or you can contact the SEMA MRC Liaison, Staci Bostock at stacib@sema.org.  The Awards Task Force was formed to review the criteria for the MRC Hall of Fame and STAR Award (Sales Team Annual Recognition). The MRC Hall of Fame Award was designed to honor outstanding persons in the segment of the automotive industry known as manufacturers’ representatives. It is the most prestigious award presented by the council to dedicated individuals who enhanced the stature of, or significantly contributed to the manufacturers’ rep profession or the council’s growth. The MRC STAR Award will be presented to the most outstanding manufacturer’s sales team voted upon by the general membership of MRC.

Elections & Scholarship Task Force
The council chair-elect chairs this task force. The Elections Task Force reviews and approves the council nominations submitted, conduct interviews with perspective candidates and creates the final slate of candidates. The Scholarship Task Force creates the criteria and selects the recipient for the MRC sponsored SEMA scholarship.

Membership Task Force
Bunyan “Les” Rudd (Bob Cook Sales) chairs this task force and can be reached at lesrudd@bobcooksales.com or you can contact the SEMA MRC Liaison, Staci Bostock at stacib@sema.org.  The importance of knowing our members and what industry challenges each member is very important. The Membership Task Force was formed to enhance the value for the MRC member. The Membership Task Force is slated to research, identify and/or produce 3 new member cost saving benefits, work to develop programs that enhance the professionalism of the Rep Industry, develop a plan to improve the value of becoming a member of the MRC and, engage members at large to get involved with the MRC.

Rep Conference & LRP Task Force
Chris Fairless (Fairless Sales & Marketing) chairs this task force and can be reached at cfairless@FairlessSalesMarketing.com or you can contact the SEMA MRC Liaison, Staci Bostock at stacib@sema.org. The Rep Conference Task Force researches and selects industry specific topics and speakers that would appeal to all Manufactures, WD’s and Reps.  The LRP Task Force works closely with the MRC Chairman, Membership Task Force Chairman and SEMA Staff Liaison to develop long range planning format and subject matter.

There are so many other things the council leadership does throughout the year, including host the annual MRC Rep Conference and General Membership Awards Ceremony at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, present industry awards to our Manufacturers Rep colleagues, and elect council leadership. Feel free to visit the MRC Rep Center at SEMA Show for more information on the council. You are the expert at what your business needs and this council wants to deliver. Feel free to get in touch with us or come to one of our MRC events. Our hope is that if you haven’t been a part of MRC yet, you will be in 2010 and beyond.

For more information on how to join, please contact SEMA at member@sema.org or (909) 396-0289.