Organization beefs up staff, and company taps leader to guide expansion.

NEII® Personnel Moves

The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII®) announced hires and promotions aimed at increasing industry influence in the code, regulatory and legislative arenas. Kevin Brinkman has been promoted from consultant to vice president of Codes and Safety, where he will continue to develop and adopt model elevator and escalator codes to protect the safety of workers and the riding public. Brinkman has nearly 27 years of industry experience, and previously served as vice president of Engineering for National Wheel-O-Vator Co. and ThyssenKrupp Access. He is founder of consultancy Kevin L. Brinkman & Associates.

Amy J. Blankenbiller has been promoted from consultant to vice president of Government Affairs, responsible for leading the association’s legislative and regulatory efforts. Previously, Blankenbiller was president of consultancy AJB Strategies, LLC, which she founded, as well as president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce.

Rounding out a team that also includes Director of Communications Nicole Van Velzen (ELEVATOR WORLD, October 2017) and Director of Government Affairs Dylan Isenberg (EW, September 2017) is Megan Hensley, who provides research support to the Codes and Safety, Government Affairs and Communications departments. Hensley’s background includes education, coaching and event planning.

NEII Executive Director Karen Penafiel stated:

“For the past few decades, NEII has been a highly regarded industry advocate, with just a handful of consultants and no full-time employees. Over the past year, we have grown to a staff of six with over 90 years of combined experience in advocacy, code development and association management. We are excited to see what our new team will accomplish as we continue working to advance elevator and escalator safety across the country.”

ITI Hires Operations Manager for Western U.S.

ITI Hydraulik has hired Paul Smyth as Western Operations manager in the Midwest and West. Smyth will have management responsibility for ITI’s site expansion at an undisclosed location in the West. Once the site is established, he will serve as site leader. Smyth has served in various progressive roles at MEI-Total Elevator Solutions in mid- and executive-level positions, all within Manufacturing and Engineering operations. He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Kansas State University.