TOPEKA, KS. (July 5, 2022)

NATIONAL ELEVATOR INDUSTRY, INC. ANNOUNCES 2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors will lead the National Elevator Industry, Inc.'s (NEII) mission as the organization continues to represent the global leaders in the building transportation industry through advocacy and code development.

NEII, the premier trade association representing the global leaders in the building transportation industry, announced the election of its Board of Directors and officers. The leadership team will serve a one-year term. The elected officers of the Board of Directors include:

• Erik Zommers, President – Zommers is Senior Vice President/General Manager of Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc.'s Elevator and Escalator Division. He has been with Mitsubishi Electric since 1989 and oversees all U.S. operations for the division.
• Kevin Lavallee, Vice President - Lavallee serves as the President and CEO of TK Elevator North America and global COO Field at TK Elevator where he has a history of over 30 years in both the U.S. and Canada with the company.
• Jared Radabaugh, Treasurer - Radabaugh is the Global BU Controller at Prysmian Group, where he provides financial, analytical, and decision-making support to the Elevator Escalator business units.
• Amy Blankenbiller, Secretary – Blankenbiller is the Executive Director of NEII and leads the staff team to drive the industry's objectives. She brings over 30 years of experience in public relations, government affairs and policy development to her role.

In addition to the officers, returning members of the NEII Board of Directors include:

• Paul Bloom, Schindler Elevator Corporation – Bloom is the Chief Operating Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer at Schindler Elevator Corporation, who brings 29 years of ground-up elevator experience to his role.
• Jim Cramer, Otis Worldwide Corp. - Cramer has been with Otis for over 35 years and is currently the President of the Otis Americas region.
• Gary Krupp, Fujitec America, Inc. – Krupp organizes and oversees the management of operations, engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing and service across the United States and Canada as the President of Fujitec America, Inc. Mr. Krupp has over 35 years in the elevator industry and began his career with Fujitec in 1996.
• Richard Parvesse, Draka EHC – Parvesse was appointed President of the Prysmian Group’s Elevator and Escalator Business Unit, Draka EHC in April 2022. Parvesse has been with the Prysmian Group since 2001.
• Ken Schmid, KONE Americas - Schmid leads KONE Americas as Executive Vice President, also serving as a member of KONE's Executive Board. He has been with KONE in a series of successive leadership roles for over 36 years.

The NEII Board of Directors sets the strategic direction of the association to drive its mission to advance safety and innovation in the building transportation industry throughout North America.

“As the new president of the NEII Board of Directors, I look forward to continuing the work we have started to set some ambitious long-term goals to advance the industry and NEII as an organization," said Erik Zommers, President of NEII. “I have been incredibly involved in NEII for a long time and led its transition to a full-fledged trade association seven years ago. I am honored to continue to serve with this group of recognized leaders as we work to promote safety, drive innovation, and work towards a more inclusive labor force.”

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About NEII

NEII is the premier trade association representing the global leaders in the building transportation industry. Its members install, maintain, and/or manufacture elevators, escalators, moving walks, and other building transportation products. NEII‘s membership includes the six major international companies – Fujitec America, Inc., KONE, Inc., Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc., Otis Elevator Company, Schindler Elevator Corporation, TK Elevator and several other companies across the country. Collectively, the NEII members represent approximately eighty-five percent of the total hours worked within the elevator and escalator industry, employ more than 25,000 people in the U.S. and indirectly support hundreds of thousands of American jobs in affiliate industries. 

For more information about NEII, please visit www.neii.org.