RSPA - Newsroom

Matthew Swanson

Prior involvement with RSPA: At RetailNOW^® in August 2018, I was selected as a NextGEN grant recipient. Since then, I have attended Inspire^® in Sanibel Island, Florida as well as Nassau, and RetailNOW in San Antonio. In February, I participated in the “Anatomy of a Breach” presentation on the main stage at Inspire. In addition, while my contributions have been modest at best, I have volunteered as a part of the RSPA Academy faculty.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? NCBP has worked closely with RSPA, and I have witnessed the tools, resources, and community that have helped our organization, and many like us, grow over the years. The RSPA is a critical resource and community for the channel and the vendors that work in it. I want to see RSPA continue to build on the community so many have already benefited from, but I also want to see RSPA adapt to embrace tomorrow’s generation of retail technology leaders. I want to be a part of the team that helps RSPA continue to grow and achieve new heights. I want to be a part of the team that helps the organization evolve to meet the challenges of tomorrow. I want to see RSPA continue to develop the resources that members have depended on. Ultimately, I want to see RSPA thrive for many years to come so that the organization is ever more relevant to our industry and is well-positioned as the world around us continues to shift in unprecedented ways.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? I have worked in the retail technology industry my entire professional career, first at MICROS Systems, and have spent the last 12+ years at NCBP in a variety of roles. As the Vice Present of Operations, I am accountable for all IT, Service Delivery, Onsite Support, Remote Support, and Implementation Services. I oversee a team of approximately 105 associates, and serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. This breadth of responsibility has allowed me to develop a strong understanding of many aspects of the organization and of the industry, and allows me to apply critical thinking and problem solving skills in creative ways.

I have a unique blend of real-world experience and professional education and multiple certifications. I have three college degrees including a Master of Project Management from the Behrend College at Penn State University. Among my professional training, I have a passion for improving repeatability and scalability through process engineering leveraging Lean Six Sigma principles.

While barely on the cusp of the generation, I am also a millennial, and bring “today’s” thinking to the table with a combination of the work ethic and tenacity of previous generations.

Kelli Stewart

Prior involvement with RSPA: I previously served one term as an RSPA Board Member and have been a W2W committee member since its creation. I am one of the original “RSPA Ambassadors” at vendor events, conveying the value of the association to drive membership. Advocate for the channel and association, always.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? I served one term on the board, and did not run for a second term as I was in the process of sale/divesting as a VAR. An attempt at a second term would have meant I would have had to run as a “vendor.” I wouldn’t have brought adequate vendor experience or value to the board.

I worked for two years as a consultant, and have again embraced the role as a reseller. I am acutely aware of the challenges that VAR’s face. I hope to be able to bring insightful VAR perspective; lift and represent other VAR’s as well as the whole association.

I enjoyed the work in the first term I served, and welcome the responsibilities of another term should I be elected.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? I think the board would benefit from my commitment to the betterment of our association through the lifting of all our members. I’m driven by honesty and integrity and I want to see other VAR’s succeed. I believe I can bring experience and expertise, as well as varied perspectives, from my reseller journey. My entry into the reseller space was into a 2nd generation reseller company in the 90’s. I helped to build and then revive a dealership that struggled after the 2008 economic downturn. After building it back up through embracing residual revenue strategies and making some hard decisions, the company partnered with another reseller for several years. After additional growth, exited the partnership, learning a great deal through the experience. I then embraced the role of helping others do what I had done through consulting, and again back into the “fray” as a VAR.

VAR’s, ISV’s, Vendors and the consolidation and merging of those roles blurring the line between them has evolved our industry dramatically. I believe it is through acknowledgment of future evolution and embracing the dynamic POS ecosystem channel that we create a tangible path to success for all our members. Mostly, the success of VAR’s supports our entire purpose.

Kevin Spencer

Prior involvement with RSPA: I have been involved with RetailNOW^® and other research aspects via the RSPA Portal. I have participated in RSPA Academy webinars and most recently presented one on COVID-19.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? I want to bring the cultures of the Caribbean community to the association to demonstrate how different practices are executed, as well as how solutions need to be positioned and implemented. This will provide a huge educational opportunity for different countries.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? I have vast knowledge of Caribbean retail, with 20 years experience along with both customer and reseller experiences. I have experience in solution deployment and implementation, along with success stories.

Paul Leduc

Prior involvement with RSPA: “I have been both a chair and co-chair of the Canadian committee for 10 years now. We have grown the membership in reseller count and have been rapidly growing by creating events and engaging in many members and sponsors. I also been part of the Board of Directors for 6 years (2 terms).

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? I think I can bring some input on the management of the association. I have been involved at the board level for 6 years, and with the changing times, there is much more to do. Additionally, I can bring a Canadian voice back to the board.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat?“I think I can bring some experience as both a vendor and a reseller. In the past I was an ISV sales manager, so I visited many resellers across the country and was active with many of the resellers, distributors and vendors for integration. I have been a reseller for the past 11 years and have benefited from all of those experiences that I can bring to the table. I can also bring the Canadian perspective to the group.

Tony Berry

Prior involvement with RSPA: Thanks to Curt Kennington and his mentorship, I have been a member for many years and have attended many conventions. I am now at a point in my life where I would have time to serve on the Board of Directors.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? I would like to give back some of what I have learned over many years while continuing to learn with a special focus on the futures of all dealers.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? I have many years of knowledge and the value of picking your vendors and customers, as well as growing with products that serve the market that you are truly good at.

Brett Bennett

Prior involvement with RSPA: Over the past 20 years, I have attended each of the annual RetailNOW^® conferences, and I have served as speaker/facilitator for multiple breakout sessions, as well as on several roundtable breakout session discussions. I have also participated in various communities, including the currently active ISV community.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? I have over 30 years experience in the business automation industry, and for over 20 years of that time, I have been a member of the RSPA (ICRDA prior to the forming of the RSPA). During that time, I have led my company through several significant events, including September 11 attacks and recession, the “great recession” of the late 2000’s, and now this terrible pandemic. This experience provides me a very strong leadership base to help provide direction to the RSPA community, not only in very specific business and retail automation areas, but also in how to survive and even thrive through major economic events. I am absolutely dedicated to the RSPA and the services it provides it’s members and partners.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? I am a listener and a learner as well as a leader. I listen, learn, and understand situations before I react to them. I will bring level-headed thinking, followed by firm and specific action to the board. My 30 years experience in the industry as a reseller and ISV, coupled with my experience managing the unique obstacles presented to our industry and businesses by major economic crisis bring important benefit at this time. I am excited for the prospects of the future, and believe that we will see an unprecedented shift in our industry. That shift can be a great benefit to our companies and our industry, as long as we are prepared to meet the new needs and requirements of our customers. I can provide guidance and direction in this new era.

Somesh Uniyal

Prior involvement with RSPA: I have been a participant on nearly every RetailNOW^® event and all the ancillary activities associated with the event for the last 15 years.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? My company has been part of the RSPA family for 15 years and, and we have benefited from the resources and support of the organization. Every new member at the senior level brings a different perspective to the organization and I believe that I would be able to contribute to the evolution of RSPA as it looks to add more value through it various programs to its members.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat?Every member of the RSPA has their own unique set of business experiences because of their unique background and business activity. RSPA has evolved over the years from an organization that used to be cash register reseller focused to the present time when it serves a more diversified member base. Diversified of the various business types, resellers, software providers, hardware providers merchant service providers and so forth but also the diversity of where those members come from. Diversity helps an organization evolve and adapt to changing business and new ideas bring new perspective. I believe as a vendor member of the RSPA board I bring the perspective of a vendor that has evolved over the years to be one of best channel hardware vendor twice in the last three years and also my own experience towards that journey to help other RSPA members succeed.

Melanie Tawil

Prior involvement with RSPA: I currently sit on the RSPA Marketing Committee and attended RetailNOW^® in Dallas & in San Antonio.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? Retail is at the precipice of change, and with my background in marketing, real estate development, and mobility solutions, I think I would be a great candidate to serve on the RSPA Board.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? My background in marketing and starting my business in 2011 to how to effectively communicate with our members & reach out to them in new and effective ways while being both a retailer & a service provider would be a great benefit for RSPA. Being a woman of color in the tech industry I bring a different perspective.

Pat Ward

Prior involvement with RSPA: I’ve been a Sponsor of both RetailNOW^® and Inspire^® and have attended both regularly for the last decade.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? I’ve been a member for close to a decade and bring an unbiased agnostic perspective, as I do not work for a company that owns and only promotes their proprietary brands. Remaining agnostic would allow me to help RSPA and it’s members develop programs for ALL members regardless of POS affiliation.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? Objectivity – as stated earlier. As an agnostic member, my goals would be attract new membership from POS brands not owned by an individual Processor

I also believe the role of Solution Provider has changed due to the advent of SAS solutions – the VAR’s of today are not the VAR’s of yesterday, there is an incredible opportunity to attract membership from the ISO/Agent Channel that has added POS in the last 5 years.

Blake Gillum

Prior involvement with RSPA
I have attended RetailNow every year since 2012. This year we began attending INSPIRE. I also serve on the Marketing Committee and recently participated in the RSPA’s Trusted Advisor Podcast.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board?
I feel the organization brings such tremendous value to the players in our industry and it would be an honor to be allowed the privilege of helping to shape its future.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat?
I feel that my value will come in the form of the unique perspective that my role, experience, and age offer. I am relatively young, mid-thirties, and have been in the POS industry for a decade. During that time, I have seen nothing but rapid change. Three years ago, I became the GM of Data Enterprises, Inc, a VAR/ISV hybrid with 46 employees. The RSPA has provided a wealth of tools and provided a vast network of professionals that has helped me along my journey. I want to see the RSPA membership continue to grow, dispel the “good old boy” label, expand our knowledge base and toolsets, and engage with the new generation of leaders in our industry.

Jake West

Prior involvement with RSPA:
I lead ISV Business Development at Mercury Payment Systems and have been in the payments industry since 2007. My role at Mercury was building the companies ecosystem of ISVs, thus I got to know the RSPA very well. I’ve attended RetailNow for at least a decade now, and have driven multiple ISVs and Resellers to attend RetailNow each year. I’ve also been on an RSPA committee previously.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board?
Vend’s focus in growth is via the reseller network. Our competitors – Shopify, LightSpeed and Square have taken the opposite approach to Vend, with taking payments in-house offering one-stop bundles. Vend’s a partner lead organization, where instead of competing against resellers, we partner with them. Vend launched it’s reseller line of business approx 20 months ago, and now support over 200 active resellers. As Vend thinks about growth and scale, our strategy is to grow via partnerships with channel partners.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat?
I think I can bring a fresh point of view from being both in the Payment processing and now ISV space on how we work with resellers, how resellers are evolving and how a cloud based ISV looks at a reseller. I’ve also developed an extensive network where i can help drive RSPA message.

Jordan Statt

Prior involvement with RSPA:
I have attended both RetailNOW^® and Inspire^® since 2016, and I most recently participated in a panel discussion on ISV/VAR partner relationships during the 2019 Inspire event in Sanibel Island. I haven’t yet been involved in a committee, although I was originally exploring the NextGEN group.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board?
At Heartland, our vertical Point of Sale Products are primarily distributed through a network of Point of Sale Dealer experts around the United States. We believe that the best way to service a local community of SMB businesses is through local experts who live and work within those markets. I would like to participate as a Board member to help support and shape the future of our industry along with peers in the space.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat?
I think that I bring a substantive combination of product and channel expertise having spent my previous 5 years with MobileBytes prior to our acquisition by Heartland. I had the pleasure of working with many RSPA VAR members in that time and continue to work with many of them now under the Heartland flag. I also feel that as a younger participant, I could be somewhat of a conduit for new ideas and relevant perspectives that newer VARs or second (and third) generation member attendees could relate to as the channel continues to evolve.

Colin Martin

Prior involvement with RSPA: I joined Vigilix in November of 2016. I participated in and/or sponsored Inspire^® and RetailNOW^® in 2017 and every year since. I joined the RSPA Marketing Committee in 2018, and starting in 2019, I also joined the Membership Committee and have been involved in both ever since. When RSPA is participating in an event that I am at (booth or table), I always push people toward the table. Vigilix is about to release our new marketing website, and we are going to be closely tied to RSPA content and helping to promote the RSPA and its initiatives.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? There are many reasons I would like to serve on the RSPA Board. By my assessment, I am still a newbie to the POS industry (>4 years) but I have fallen in love with it. It has captured my energy and my heart. I have also become a HUGE believer in the RSPA, and I’m grateful for the association, it’s people and it’s impact on our market. I want to support our industry and our association to the highest and best use of my strengths and experience. I believe in the POS resellers that are RSPA members and want to support them. In my opinion, they are the best of America and an important part of the foundation of American business.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? First and foremost, I have a heart of service. I fundamentally believe in giving back and paying forward. I have a sales, leadership and strategic business experience/skill set that I believe could add value to the RSPA Board and Membership. I have had three separate business roles in my 27 years of business experience and three of those roles were in running a business that I founded/owned. So, I know what it’s like to have the stress and pleasure of signing my own paycheck and working for what I eat, similar the POS Solution Provider entrepreneurs that are the lifeblood of our industry and the RSPA. I am empathetic and respectful of their life and the business path they walk EVERY day. I think my combination of experience, fresh eyes, heart of service and profound work ethic will bear fruit and could add some unique value/perspective to the RSPA Board.

Vanessa Foden

Prior involvement with RSPA: I joined the STS steering committee 5 years ago, and prior to joining the committee, I was an active association member. I continue to enjoy writing newsletters and event summaries for the committee. Prior to joining the steering committee, I participated in events and had the opportunity to speak on panels and bring in other senior leaders. Additionally, our team at Intel continues to support the RSPA Retail Experience Center to help further gain awareness for all RSPA and future RSPA participates.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? I honestly believe that the channel must go through significant transformation to adapt to the new retail reality out there. This also applies to the RSPA !The status quo is certainly not an option. C-19, new buyer profile, web purchases, and transformation of the purpose for brick and mortar are just sample elements of what the industry is facing. The RSPA is in my opinion positioned very well to educate, train, and facilitate the needed transformation of the channel members towards the NEW generation customer. I am in a situation in my career where I would like to “give back to the community” and be part of the transformation! At the same time, as a board member, I may have influence on what needs to be done for the RSPA to better progress towards an industry’s trusted advisor group!

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? I have been in this industry since 1993. I was involved as a VAR for 10 year. I then joined a vendor and led Motorola Solutions (now Zebra) sales in Canada for 7 years. Finally, I joined Distribution at Bluestar Canada. I have gone full circle in the industry, so I understand the reality of the key pillars in the industry. But, the biggest value I can bring is the ATTITUDE that I have towards my belief of “status quo is not an option.” I have driven all my career with this philosophy, with lots of success. This attitude is a question of survival for all! I would like to positively contaminate the RSPA members so that the RSPA becomes one of the key drivers of this change strategy. The RSPA is, again, in a great position to achieve this and I simply wish that I be part of this journey!!!

Jeff Burroughs

Prior involvement with RSPA: I was the first vendor member elected to serve on the RSPA Board of Directors in 2013. I have also attended annual and mid-year shows for more than 15 years.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? See the necessity of the association…now more than ever before. I was one of the original vendor members on the RSPA Board (during my tenure at EPSON) and enjoyed the opportunity to help steer the association to serve our industries. I’d be open to doing the same again.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? A unique perspective having worked for large and small vendors in the retail technology space. Enduring relationships with a variety of channel participants… with a desire to help direct the continued evolution of the association.

Michel Sirois

Prior involvement with RSPA: I have been very active in the RSPA activities in the last 4-5 years. I have participated to the majority of events with the exception of the ones where I had business conflicts.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? I honestly believe that the channel must go through significant transformation to adapt to the new retail reality out there. This also apply to the RSPA !The status Quo is certainly not an option. C-19, new buyer profile, web purchases, transformation of the purpose for brick and mortar are just sample elements of what the industry is facing. The RSPA is in my opinion positioned very well to educate, train, facilitate the needed transformation of the channel members towards the NEW generation customer. I am in a situation in my career where I would like to ” Give back to the community ” and be part of the transformation ! At the same time, as a board member, I may have influence on what needs to be done for the RSPA to better progress towards an industry’s trusted advisor group!

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? I have been in this industry since 1993. I have been involved as a VAR for 10 years. I then joined a Vendor and, led Motorola Solutions ( Now Zebra) sales in Canada, for 7 years. Finally I joined Distribution at Bluestar Canada. I have gone full circle in the industry so, I understand the reality of the key pillars in the industry. But, the biggest value I can bring, is the ATTITUDE that I have towards my belief of ” Status Quo is not an option” . I have driven all my career with this philosophy with lots of success. This attitude is a question of survival for all ! I would like to positively contaminate the RSPA members so that the RSPA become one of the key driver of this change strategy. The RSPA is, again, in a great position to achieve this and I simply wish that I be part of this journey!!!

Tom Bronson

Prior involvement with RSPA: For many years, I have been involved with RetailNOW^® and Inspire^®. I have served as a strategic advisor to the board, and have been a featured speaker at many events. I previously have also served on the education committee. I currently serve on the faculty and contribute articles for publication on the website.

Why are you interested in serving on the RSPA Board? I have served the association for many years in various capacities, and now want to give back more.

What value and benefits can you bring to the RSPA Board and the RSPA Members should you be elected to a board seat? I have a broad business perspective, having been both a reseller and now a vendor. I believe that I can offer significant contributions to the long term success and health of the organization. I have served on many boards in the past and an eager to share my knowledge and passion.

Topics for 2019

Base Track Sessions (Duration = 90 Minutes):

Sales Management: Fundamentals of managing sales deployment, process, forecasting and compensation.

Levers of Success: Strong knowledge of the levers that drive healthy VAR & Vendor businesses.

Data Security: Key management practices that protect data across all applications and platforms.

Market Analytics: Practical experience and tools that enable businesses.

Recurring Revenue: Proven track record in generating recurring revenue streams outside of traditional POS.

Marketing: Content Marketing, Voice search, Gen Z, Effective use of Social Media, Location based marketing.

Branch Track Sessions (Duration = 40 Minutes):

MSP Automation: Tools that aid in transitioning to a Managed Servicer Provider.

Organizational Strength: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and developing.

SMB Innovation: New offerings that impact business.

Sales Process: Deep dive into refining approach to stages of sales process.

Customer Experience: Organizing customer interaction for optimal business outcomes.

Business Operations & Valuation: Methods for measuring and building value in your business.

Preliminary Agenda-at-a-Glance

Saturday – August 1, 2020
RSPA Board Meeting	9:00A – 5:00P
Implementing an Effective Sales Management Program Key Components to Driving Results and Productivity of Sales Teams Download Video Download Audio Only	Dave Menton
Learning From Another’s Forensic Engagement Download Video Download Audio Only	Adam Perella
Meet the Modern Marketer: Content Marketing Key Concepts Download Video Download Audio Only	Mark Fraker and James Korte
Things You Can Do Right NOW to Improve the Value of Your Business Download Video Download Audio Only	Tom Bronson

Branch tracks
8 Key Drivers of Business Value Download Video Download Audio Only	Jim Kahrs
Best Practices for Qualifying your Prospects Download Video Download Audio Only	Phil McCarthy
Building A Sustainable Sales Team in Times of Change Download Video Download Audio Only	Chris Lybeer
Capital For Business Growth Download Video Download Audio Only	Jon Engleking
Delivering the Right Content Download Video Download Audio Only	Stephen Bergeron
Expect Change For Success Download Video Download Audio Only	Mark Schulze
Hijacking Customer Success Download Video Download Audio Only	Butch Langlois and Jake West
How to Create an Effective Sales Compensation Plan Download Video Download Audio Only	P.J. Tierney
Innovation as the Key to Success Download Video Download Audio Only	Mark Paley
Innovative and Simple Solutions for SMB Payments Download Video Download Audio Only	Jim Parkinson
Marketing In The Digital Age Download Video Download Audio Only	Stephen Bergeron
Merging Payments and the Ideal Customer Experience Download Video Download Audio Only	John Arato
Practical Customer Service Tools Download Video Download Audio Only	Andrew Bourne
Put On Your Own Mask Before Helping Others – Critical Security Controls for Resellers Download Video Download Audio Only	Nathan Sweaney
There is No Silver Bullet -Why Multi-Layer Security Strategies are Critical to Success Download Video Download Audio Only	John Ayers
VAR & ISV Secrets to Maximizing Your Vendor Partner Relationships Download Video Download Audio Only	Moderated by Jim Roddy
Win More Business by Selling 24.7.365 with Marketing Automation Download Video Download Audio Only	Jeremy Julian

Leadership in You -If You Don’t Prioritize Your Development No One Will Download Video Download Audio OnlyKathy Meader and Shannon Reichart

Breakouts
Balancing Retail, Hospitality and Security (Slides Unavailable) Download Video Download Audio Only	Michael Weaver
Blocking Breaches with Blockchain Download Video Download Audio Only	Dee Duncan
Cloud or Client Server – A Winning Recipe For Each Download Video Download Audio Only	Bob Bauer
Credit Card Processing 101 – Winning Strategies for the Convergence of Industries Download Video Download Audio Only	Dan Brattland
Innovating as an SMB Reseller Download Video Download Audio Only	Alan Outlaw
Keeping Your Top Talent Download Video Download Audio Only	Chelsey Paulson
Positioning VAR Businesses for SMB Success Download Video Download Audio Only	Jeff Riley and Chris Rumpf
The Challenge of Implementing Saas Download Video Download Audio Only	Andrew Warker
The Voice of the Customer Download Video Download Audio Only	Ansley Hoke
Unlocking the Hidden Value of Recurring Revenue Download Video Download Audio Only	Chad Carr

Pacesetter Awards

Winners for the current year will be selected in mid-June and recognized at at the 2020 RSPA Academy Education Symposium. The deadline to nominate for the current year will coincide with the closing of the Vendor Awards of Excellence voting, at which time the nominations process will reset. However, nominations for the subsequent year are accepted anytime after this date.
Who are you nominating?*
- My company.
- Another company.
Nominator Information
Your Name*
First Last
Your Company*
Your Email*
Your Phone Number (optional)
Nominee Information
Nominated Company*
Why do you think this company deserves to be recognized by the RSPA?*
Include as many details as possible about accomplishments over the past 12 months. Answers can include: significant innovation(s), unique installation(s), new product development, significant company growth, contributions to community and award recognition.

Hall of Fame Nominations

Inductee for the current year will be selected in mid-July and recognized at the 2020 RSPA Academy Education Symposium. The deadline to nominate for the current year will coincide with the closing of the Vendor Awards of Excellence voting, at which time the nominations process will reset. However, nominations for the subsequent year are accepted anytime after this date.
Nominator Information
Your Name*
First Last
Your Company*
Your Email*
Your Phone Number (optional)
Nominee Information
Nominee Name*
First Last
Nominee Company*
Nominee Email*
Nominee Phone Number (optional)
Significant contribution to and/or influence on the industry*
Minimum of 150 words

Essay Instructions

Each applicant is required to submit a Scholarship Application Essay. This is a two-page, double-spaced paper, which cannot be handwritten. Type the essay on white, 8.5” x 11” paper and upload it with your other materials at the end of this application.

Please choose One of the following topics below for your essay:

What critics say about a particular book, movie, or television show can be very important to the success of the work. Imagine you are the critic. Write a review of a book, movie, or television show. Discuss its strengths and weaknesses i.e. plot, tone, type of audience that should or shouldn’t see it, believability, etc. You may reference the plot, but don’t include a plot summary. Finally, give it a ranking from one to ten.
Imagine your high school or university is having serious financial problems. It needs to eliminate one course of study. What would you eliminate and why? What should never be eliminated? Explain.

TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR ESSAY SUBMISSION: The essay should show original and serious thinking on the part of the applicant and should demonstrate the applicant’s ability to express those thoughts clearly and accurately. A third page may be added to cite sources if quotes, purported facts, etc. are used. The essay should be coherent; it should have a clear beginning, middle and end. Begin by introducing the topic and set forth the boundaries of the subject. Do not be vague or too expansive. Instead, be specific and well-disciplined. You may want to follow these steps in preparing your essay:

Outline your essay. Write a rough draft and review it by asking yourself such questions as: Is it clear? Are questions raised by this essay left unanswered? Is the topic clearly defined? Are the ideas well developed? Are the ideas concrete?

Finalize your essay, asking yourself these questions: Is this precise or too general? Is it concise or does it ramble? Have I used grammar properly? Is this essay persuasive? Are the quotes accurate? Are the facts valid? Are my thoughts and conclusions well organized?

NextGEN Scholarship Nomination Form

Become a NextGEN sponsor

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NextGEN Sponsorship Level Requested*
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W2W Leader of the Year Nominations

The W2W Leader of the Year award has been created to recognize a woman in the Retail Technology Industry, who is determined to reshape the industry and create a smarter and more inclusive future.

This honor recognizes a woman who has demonstrated key characteristics of a pioneer paving the way in the Retail Technology Industry. These include:
- Professionalism – commits to the continual improvement of knowledge and skills, while providing motivation to others in the industry
- Leadership – is a positive role model and actively seeks to bring greater diversity to the technology industry
- Mentorship – enables professional growth of those they manage or mentor through their actions and encouragement
- Communication – displays strength in both interpersonal and organizational communication
Winner for the current year will be selected in mid-July and recognized at at the 2020 RSPA Academy Education Symposium. The deadline to nominate for the current year will coincide with the closing of the Vendor Awards of Excellence voting, at which time the nominations process will reset. However, nominations for the subsequent year are accepted anytime after this date.

Disclaimer: By submitting this ballot RSPA member confirms they are employed by a member company in good standing. Incomplete nominations, or nominations that do not address all criteria, will not be considered.
Nominator Information
Your Name*
First Last
Your Company*
Your Email*
Your Phone Number (optional)
Nominee Information
Nominee Name*
First Last
Nominee Company*
Nominee Email*
Nominee Phone Number (optional)
Please describe why you believe this candidate is deserving of this award. Please provide examples where possible. Specifics are appreciated.*
Minimum of 150 words

The RSPA Academy proudly presents our second Regional Education Event being held on Tuesday, May 7th in Tampa, Florida. Join RSPA and sponsor EVO Payments, for a 1 day, on-site workshop like no other event in the industry. Agenda topics include:

Market Sizing/Market Potential Indexing
Sales Process Methodology
Sales KPI’s/Metrics.

Hosted by EVO Payments at their headquarters in Tampa, FL and led by RSPA’s VP of Sales, Dave Menton and VP of Education, Kathy Meader, this interactive workshop event will help you think about change and transformation in your sales organization. Join your colleagues as they share best practices around:

Identifying a target market
Deploying a sales team to execute against sales targets
Implementing a disciplined sales process
Leveraging sales management best practices
Measuring and monitoring Key Performance Indicators around Sales Activity and Results

Registration will open at 9:30 AM. The workshop will be held from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm and lunch will be provided for all attendees. Seats are limited, so click here to register today!

Registration is complimentary for Current RSPA Members. For lasped and non-member companies:

$50	1 individual*
$75	2 individuals of the same company*
$100	3+ individuals of the same company (best value)*

*Cost will be credited towards renewal or new membership fees if activated within 30 days of the event.

Join us as we review the lessons we learned from forensics investigations in 2018. Dave Ellis, SecurityMetrics’ VP of Investigations (PFI, GCIH, CISSP, QSA), also gives his forensic predictions for 2019 to help you strengthen your organization’s defense. Dave is also joined by John Bartholomew, SecurityMetrics’ SVP of Technology (PCIP), for a Q&A session where they answer questions about data security and breaches.

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In 2018 most processors began requiring resellers to sign up for MasterCard’s Terminal Servicer Program. We also saw a few changes to the program with the release of the updated QIR program. Join us on this webinar as we review the details of this program and how it applies to all POS resellers.

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By incorporating the newest in payment technologies into your POS sales pitch, both POS VARs and ISVs can complement their existing sales points while differentiating their product from a competitor. Join Matt Bruno VP of Sales for Payment Logistics as he looks at a few of the new technologies, their functionality and, most importantly, how dealers can capitalize on these new tools.

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Let’s face it. Our most valuable resources walks out of our offices at the end of each workday…that resource is our people. The question every leader should ask themselves is “Have I done enough today to ensure they come back tomorrow?” Join Paul and Shannon for the 1st part of this 2-Part session that will assist you in developing your people. Part 1 will focus on HOW to develop your people and where to exert your time and energy.

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RSPA Academy

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From the following, select ALL that you are interested in.
- Canadian
- Security
- Education and Certification
- Membership
- Marketing
- NextGEN
- Scholarships and Awards
- Strategic Technology Solutions (STS)
- W2W - Women in Retail
Canadian: Responsible for identifying new members in the Canadian market and assisting with annual Community networking events (one in-country).

Security: This committee’s focus is to help the retail technology industry better understand the realities and risks of PCI Compliance and to provide the voice of our community to strategic partners, such as the PCI-SSC.

Education and Certification: This committee serves as the advisory board for the RSPA by providing recommendations on content and assisting with the execution of industry education for members. Included in this has been support with content and breakout sessions for both INSPIRE and RetailNOW.

Membership: Responsible for helping to grow and retain RSPA membership. This committee also assists in outreach to other organizations to encourage membership and engagement.

Marketing: This committee helps raise awareness of the RSPA brand and image, as well as works closely with the RSPA team on creating and branding campaigns and initiatives.

NextGEN: We are working to build a community of RSPA members that will help the industry evolve and continue to flourish. Those that are creating and offering new solutions as well as those that will take ownership as the previous generation begins to transition who are at any level of their organization (executive, sr management, management, entry level, etc). You don’t have to be a leader today to help guide the RSPA for tomorrow.

Scholarships and Awards: Assists with assessment of the RSPA scholarship program and evaluates and provides suggestions regarding RSPA’s Vendor Awards of Excellence awards program. This year we will break into two separate work streams: one to evaluate the awards categories and voter engagement and the other to promote donations to the scholarship fund.

Strategic Technology Solutions (STS): The STS committee works to identify emerging technologies that may be of benefit/interest to RSPA members and/or their customers. The committee also provides an article published in each issue of connect magazine.

W2W - Women In Retail: The W2W Committee works to unite, lift and empower women in technology by providing educational opportunities and peer to peer collaboration in a supportive environment.
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NextGEN Community at RetailNOW

NextGEN Community at RN18

Canadian Community at RetailNOW

Canadian Community at RN18

W2W Community at RetailNOW

W2W Community at RN18

Time	Function
6:00pm – 7:00pm	Open Networking & Tabletops Open Bar & Passed hors d’oeuvres
7:00pm – 7:10pm	RSPA Welcome & Intro RSPA President & CEO: John Kirk
7:10pm – 7:55pm	Guest Speaker Michael Leblanc
8:00pm – 8:55pm	Open Networking & Tabletops Hockey Hall of Fame Games
8:55pm – 9:00pm	Closing RSPA Canadian Committee Chair: Paul Leduc

1pm-3pm

Hunter Allen
Tom Bronson
Jeff Riley
Nathan Sweaney

7am-8am

Hunter Allen
Tom Bronson
Jeremy Julian
Jeff Riley
Nathan Sweaney

1pm-3pm

Hunter Allen
Tom Bronson
Jeremy Julian
Jeff Riley
Chris Rumpf
Dave Sobel
Nathan Sweaney

7am-8am

Hunter Allen
Tom Bronson
Jeff Riley
Nathan Sweaney

1pm-3pm

Hunter Allen
Troy Leach
Nathan Sweaney

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Course 1: Payment Industry Overview

Course 7: Recommended Paperwork to Complete a PCI Compliant Installation

Course 6: Providing Ongoing Support

Course 5: How to Administer & Maintain a PCI Compliant System & Environment

Course 4: Installing a Compliant System

Course 2: Security Regulations

RSPA Helps Retail IT Channel Rebuild Through New “RSPA Solution Center”

EdgeServ POS Releases Version 2020, the Restaurant Point of Sale System by Resellers for Resellers

RSPA Trusted Advisor Ep. 21: Dan Jablons of Retail Smart Guys – and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” Fame

Recent News

RSPA Recommended Read: Talent Is Overrated

Thank You

RSPA Trusted Advisor Ep. 20: Channel Insights from New RSPA General Counsel Jill Miller

Boss, I Have Been Arrested!

Retail Insiders Discuss Retail and Restaurant Associates Roles Redeﬁned

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