WASHINGTON — Directors of the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence, the long-range research arm of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), recently elected Ron Calhoun as chairman of the NAW Institute Board. Calhoun is president and CEO of The Palmer-Donavin Mfg. Co., Grove City, Ohio, a wholesaler-distributor of residential building materials in the Midwest. Calhoun succeeds Joseph Nettemeyer, president and CEO of Valin Corporation, Sunnyvale, California.

“Over the years, our management team at Palmer-Donavin has read the NAW Institute’s research studies and gotten valuable results. I believe the NAW Institute continues to do groundbreaking research. I look forward to working as its chairman and contributing to its ongoing research work for our industry," Calhoun said.
In addition to Calhoun’s election, the following wholesale distribution industry leaders were elected as directors of the NAW Institute Board for four-year terms: 

• Victor R. Jury Jr., chairman and CEO, Summit Electric Supply, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Summit Electric is a wholesaler-distributor of industrial electrical equipment and supplies with locations in the Southwest U.S. and the Middle East.

• Joseph S. Poehling, chairman and CEO, First Supply LLC, La Crosse, Wisconsin. First Supply LLC is a distributor of plumbing, heating, industrial, utility, pump, well and building supplies serving contractor, industrial and home center accounts in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, Northern Illinois and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 

• Joseph M. Thompson Jr., founder and CEO of Thompson Management Associates LLC, Annapolis, Maryland. TMA is an association management firm serving seven industry trade associations, including several that represent wholesale distribution companies. Thompson is executive vice president of the Association for Hose & Accessories Distribution.

Re-elected to the NAW Institute Board was:
• Doug York, president and CEO, Ewing Irrigation Products Inc.

The balance of the NAW Institute Board includes:
• Tim Buche, president and CEO, Motorcycle Industry Council

• Talbot Gee, CEO, Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International

• Kevin Kampe, president, Womack Machine Supply Co.

• Patricia Lilly, executive director, Fluid Power Distributors Association
Security Hardware Distributors Association
Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association

• Jeff McLendon, president, U.S. Lumber Group

• Michael Medart, president and CEO, Medart Marine

• Thomas Naber, president and CEO, National Association of Electrical Distributors

• George Pattee, chairman, Parksite, Inc.

• Larry Stoddard, president and CEO, RelaDyne

• Ralph Suppa, president and general manager, Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating

• Bruce Zwicker, president and CEO, JJ Haines & Co. Inc.