On January 22, the Central Valley Chapter gathered at the beautiful Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino for what turned out to be an incredibly successful and well-attended event. We were just shy of 100 people in the room, which speaks volumes about the level of engagement and concern within our industry right now.
We were honored to have several dignitaries in attendance, including representatives from Congressman Vince Fong’s office and Congressman David Valadao’s office, as well as State Senator Melissa Hurtado. Kings County Supervisor Joe Neves also joined us that evening. Supervisor Neves has served as a county supervisor for 32 consecutive years—the longest serving supervisor in the entire State of California! It was truly an honor to have these leaders in the room—people who understand the importance of our industry and the role my company plays within our community.
Many of these officials have stood alongside me throughout the battle surrounding the Global Household Goods Contract. They clearly understand the potential implications our industry faced if that contract had succeeded in its original form. Now, they continue this journey with us. As I wrote last month, our industry worked incredibly hard to rescue service members from the failed shipments under HomeSafe Alliance. Despite those efforts, many of us still saw no profit last year. In fact, 2025 was the worst year I have seen in terms of compensation for our industry.
That is why it meant so much to see these government representatives not only attend but actively take notes and engage in the discussion. They showed genuine interest in understanding our challenges and expressed a willingness to support businesses like mine moving forward.
We were also fortunate to have Jesse Lopez, Director/TMO for the Coast Guard, in attendance. Jesse made the trek from Alameda to join us and graciously participated in our industry panel. His support, experience, and insights made for a very positive evening. He was joined by several respected professionals, including Tim Helenthal from National Van Lines, Amy Kline from Suddath Van Lines, John Chipman representing the American Trucking Association, and Steve Weitekamp, who represented both CMSA and IAM and delivered a detailed PowerPoint presentation.
Additional insight came from industry leaders Robert Vassar of Mesa Move Systems and Mark Lundgren of Interstate Van Lines, both of whom shared their perspectives on the path forward for our industry.
One of the key topics discussed that evening was CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification), which all TSP’s must complete by March 15 to stay in the DP3 program. The discussion helped answer many questions and provided clarity about what lies ahead as we continue doing business with the Department of War. The event would not have been possible without the incredible support of these participants, and our sponsors and partners, including National Van Lines, Suddath Van Lines, Charter Transportation, Interstate Van Lines, and our valued industry vendors New Haven Moving Equipment and AI-DPS, who stepped up to sponsor the evening.
Of course, none of this would have happened without the hard work of my co-chapter president and board member, Rhonda Stephens, along with the entire Lambert team. They spent countless hours ensuring every detail was taken care of—from organizing sponsorships to preparing the silent auction items that added so much excitement to the evening.
We were also fortunate to have a very special guest join us to conduct a live auction. John Cardoza of Storage Auction Experts, along with his wife, traveled from Turlock to be at our event and brought tremendous energy and enthusiasm to the room. John did a fantastic job making the auction both fun and engaging for everyone in attendance. Some of the items up for bid included two incredible packages: a five-night stay at a beautiful condo in Maui and a five-night stay at a home in Boise, Idaho. Under normal circumstances, these hot-ticket items would have created quite a bidding frenzy. However, as I mentioned earlier, our industry was in financial distress in 2025. Sadly, we were auctioning off these amazing trips to a room full of people who had little to no net profit last year. Despite that reality, our community still showed up in support of one another. We managed to raise some funds for the CMSA Scholarship Fund, which will ultimately benefit students connected to our industry. That generosity, even during difficult times, says a lot about the people in this organization.
As I look ahead, next month will be my final column as your chairwoman. It is truly a bittersweet moment for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving in this role, even through what has arguably been one of the most tumultuous periods our industry has faced. Through these challenges, I feel I have gained even more friends and built even more meaningful relationships. Many members of our organization have confided in me and shared their personal stories and struggles along the way, and I am incredibly grateful for the trust they have placed in me.
Before we close out this season, I want to encourage everyone to register for our CMSA Convention in May in Palm Springs. It will be an important opportunity for all of us to come together, support one another, collaborate, and strengthen our industry as we prepare for Peak Season 2026. I look forward to seeing many of you there!