The CLDA Board of Directors election will take place at the 2021 Final Mile Forum and Expo. If you are attending the FMF, you will cast your vote at the Annual Business Meeting on Thursday, June 24. If you are not attending the FMF, we ask that you please complete the proxy vote form, which can be downloaded here. Per the instruction in the sheet, please have a CLDA member in good standing bring the ballot to the Annual Business Meeting on Thursday, June 24.
There are four positions open on the Board of Directors. The list of candidates running to fill these positions is below and includes a mix of both new nominations and current board members running for reelection.
Jason Burns, Director of Corporate Development, Dropoff
Jason Burns is a passionate business leader in the Greater New Orleans community and the Final Mile transportation industry. He is a proud 2006 graduate of Vanderbilt University where he was a SEC Academic Honor Roll student-athlete in football and selected as the recipient of the Head Coach’s Dedication Award.
Jason later returned to his hometown to assume a leadership role in his family’s business enterprises, including Burns Management Group (BMG), Global Parking Systems (GPS) and QCS Logistics (formerly Quick Courier Services, Inc). As a second-generation owner and President of QCS, Mr. Burns led the company’s resurgence by developing new service offerings, implementing a new technology platform, and expanding operations into new markets. These initiatives resulted in record growth and QCS was selected to the Inc. 5000 list as one of America’s fastest growing companies for four consecutive years. QCS was also recognized as a Top 100 Icon of Industry by ICIC (Initiative for a Competitive Inner City) in 2014. In 2020, QCS was acquired by Dropoff, a national same day delivery company headquartered in Austin, Tx. with operations is over 22 states. In this new role, he serves as Dropoff’s Director of Corporate Development.
Additionally, Jason has served as a board member of the Customized Logistics and Delivery Association (CLDA) since 2011 and an executive board member since 2016. During his tenure has chaired the following committees: Technology, Final Mile Forum, ELS, Membership and the newly created Diversity & Inclusion.
Mark Cossack, President, Priority Courier Experts
Mark Cossack has experience in Courier and Trucking, Financial Services, Insurance, and Technology. He holds a BA in Computer Science along with an MBA, both from the University of St Thomas in Minnesota. Mark has held VP positions at multiple Fortune 300 companies and currently serves as the President of Priority Courier Experts in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Priority started in 1997 and has grown into a 450+ vehicle fleet consisting of commercial vehicles including tractor trailers, straight trucks and specialty vehicles, plus a full range of parcel vehicles. Priority’s operations are concentrated in MN and the surrounding states and is the dominant same-day carrier in the region.
Mark has been highly involved and dedicated at both the state and federal level to preserving the Independent Contractor model and advancing and defending tax and regulatory issues that affect CLDA members. He single-handedly moved the courier industry in MN to be included in a critical statutory definition of an Independent Contractor when trucking and labor forces were trying to exclude its inclusion. Mark also serves as a board member of a state trucking association which helps him learn of and fight for regulatory changes which also help the courier industry. Mark has been married to Karen for 38 years as of 2021 and has a son Matthew and daughter Kathryn, who have given him seven fantastic and very tiring grandchildren.
Eric Mathis, Senior Vendor Relations Recruiting Manager, OnTrac
Eric Mathis spent 5 years at UPS before officially launching his 1st career with FedEx Ground where he spent 23.5 years. He managed hub operations in Portland Oregon before promoting to University Instructor in Columbus Ohio where he trained managers in operations and leadership. After promoting thru the Facility Management ranks he spent 10+ years leading remote teams supporting contractor relations and recruiting ensuring adherence to their operating agreement. Eric has been with OnTrac for just over 1 year and is now the Senior Regional Vendor Relations Recruiting Manager responsible for his team and what they call the Northwest region.
Eric wants to join the board as part of his professional development. He has spent almost 30 years in the industry and although his experience is vast knows that he needs to continue to grow his business acumen to provide more value to OnTrac.
Mitchell Miller, Director of Sales, Hot Shot Final Mile
Mitchell Miller is the Director of Sales at Hot Shot Final Mile. In his role, he is responsible for sales growth in same-day delivery, home delivery (final mile), and value-added services across the entire state of Texas, including Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Mitchell is an accomplished sales and operations professional, providing proven leadership in creating and executing strategies that exceed operational metrics and driving new sales growth in multiple service lines. Before joining Hot Shot Final Mile, Mitchell founded and built Prime Delivery Service, a same-day express delivery company, in 2011.
Ruth Ospino, Owner/CEO, Tempo Transportation and Tempo Courier
I started Tempo in 2008, as a franchise of Dynamex, nka Transforce. With a background in real estate and finance, I was excited to start a new business and a new challenge in an expanding and ever- changing industry. Teaming up with Dynamex allowed me to learn from experienced professionals and gave me the right tools to succeed. In 2011, Tempo exited the Dynamex franchise and has since grown into multiple markets. Good, honest, and hard work ethics helped to build a team of hard-working individuals who are customer focused. With branches in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Olathe, KS, and over 35 independent contractors Tempo provides customized solutions for all delivery needs. With over 15,000 sq ft of warehouse space, Tempo boasts a range of services offered including 2-man white glove service for home or medical, warehousing, scheduled routes, on-demand work, cross-dock, and more.
As satisfying as growing my business has been, my greatest happiness has been growing my family. My 3 children, Luca, Samuel, and Lily are where I get my strength, drive, and motivation to continue to grow and do my best in all aspects of my career and personal life.
Ralph has over 40 years of experience in the courier industry handling package and freight deliveries of all kinds. His experiences include local on demand courier, multi hub regional distribution, domestic and international air freight, Full Truckload and LTL trucking as well as ocean and inter modal shipping. A member of CLDA from over 26 years ago, Ralph returned to CLDA with the XLA merger in 2019 where he was Vice President of that association. Since arriving to CLDA Ralph has worked with the board to introduce new ideas to help build membership, attract some new and some former vendors and sponsors and offer input utilizing his hard earned experiences. Ralph is an active member of our Air Cargo Committee who meets regularly with TSA leaders to represent CLDA as an industry stake holder in air commerce with an active interest in cargo security and airport operations nationally. Ralph represents both our express air courier members and our local courier members equally with his background in both. He has a strong interest in finding ways to point out the synergy that exists for these models within our organization that helps to make this merger work so well.
Ralph has worked with our PR dept. to assist in bringing several air commerce related stories to our publications and has worked with our magazine editor to create ideas to attract more e-commerce, airline and freight forwarding members to join our efforts. We believe we are just beginning to breach our potential to become more representative of and for the transportation industry. Being involved at the introductory stages with the TIA (Transportation Intermediaries Assoc) was an honor for me as I have always seen them as a great resource of new shippers for our members. Once these freight brokers recognize the final mile and its potential to increase their revenue CLDA will benefit greatly. These and other potential areas of my experience is where I see my contributions to CLDA, and why I ask for your vote!
G. Eddie Pillow, President, Pillow Logistics
Mr. Pillow holds an MBA from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Hampton University. Mr. Pillow spent more than 15 years in sales and marketing roles with Sanofi Aventis, Eli Lilly & Company and GE Capital on the West Coast prior to accepting the position of President for Pillow Logistics. Mr. Pillow has served as a member of Rotary International, the Indianapolis Chamber, Board member of WFYI, Board member of Child Advocates, a “Big” with Big Brothers of Central Indiana and Committee member on the Mid States Minority, Minority Input Council.
Joel Pinsky, Chief Financial Officer, Global Messenger
Joel Pinsky CPA has helped Global Messenger to transition from a local messenger business into the courier and logistics company it is today. He joined the Baltimore-based company in 2008 after having been recruited by his childhood friend, Steve Hyman. Joel is the founder and chair of CLDA’s Member Benefits Committee and has been an active part of the association’s Membership, Finance and Budget Committees.
Joel is a graduate of the University of Delaware. After passing the CPA exam in his first sitting Joel joined the audit team of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co (now KPMG) in Baltimore. Three years later Joel moved to Touche, Ross & Co (now Deloitte & Touche) to become a tax consultant. Several years later Joel pursued a dream of his and opened Ledo Pizza and Pasta. The restaurant carved out a niche in catering hot lunches and dinners. This was Joel’s first introduction to the delivery business Joel and his wife, Kimberly have three children, Andrew, Eric and Julia. Joel loves travelling, almost all sports, playing with his goldendoodles, Bentley and Beau, and saving people money on their taxes.
Melanie Rodgers is the Vice President of Richmond Express and offers a different perspective from the VPs of traditional IC firms. Her experience is based on the all-employee model at Richmond Express and, in her 14 years there, she has learned how to attract profitable work while retaining motivated drivers. No easy task when you have 70 employees on the road! Partnerships within the CLDA have been an important part of her company’s success so, as a member of the board, Melanie would be a discerning listener, a hard worker and a champion for growth for all CLDA members – big and small.
Brian Surber, Chief Operating Officer, Priority Dispatch
Brian is a leader in the last mile space having been employed and actively involved with the CLDA (MCAA) for ~18 years. Ten of those years have been proudly representing Priority Dispatch, Inc. – one of the founding companies of our association. During this time he has contributed to the CLDA as a Committee Member, Panelist, Presenter and Moderator. Not to mention being published numerous times in miscellaneous trade publications supporting the last mile space. It is with humility and unwavering commitment he seeks to give back further to the organization that has given him so much by becoming a Board Member. Thank you.
