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July 07, 2005

Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) Board of Directors announced the selection of the 2005 honorees for The DMA Hall of Fame

The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) Board of Directors announced the selection of the 2005 honorees for The DMA Hall of Fame. This year, three direct marketing leaders are being honored: Martin "Marty" Edelston, who built Boardroom, Inc. into a multimillion-dollar publishing empire; Tim Litle, principal, Litle & Co., a leading payment processor for direct marketers and the e-commerce industry; and Ted Spiegel, who helped cement Spiegel's reputation as one of America's leading catalog marketers.

All three honorees will be formally inducted at DMA05, The DMA's Annual Conference & Exhibition this October 15-19 in Atlanta, GA.

The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) Board of Directors today announced the selection of the 2005 honorees for The DMA Hall of Fame. This year, three direct marketing leaders are being honored: Martin "Marty" Edelston, who built Boardroom, Inc. into a multimillion-dollar publishing empire; Tim Litle, principal, Litle & Co., a leading payment processor for direct marketers and the e-commerce industry; and Ted Spiegel, who helped cement Spiegel's reputation as one of America's leading catalog marketers.

All three honorees will be formally inducted at DMA05, The DMA's Annual Conference & Exhibition this October 15-19 in Atlanta, GA.

"We honor the contributions and commitment to direct marketing that these three giants have made," said John A. Greco, Jr., president & CEO, The DMA. "While today we honor their work, it is the entire direct marketing community who stands to benefit most from the decades of service and support that Marty, Tim, and Ted have given to legions of colleagues and peers. Their work lives beyond today in the many professionals they have touched throughout the years. On behalf of the entire direct marketing community, for their past work, their present commitment, and the future they have helped to shape for us, I want to publicly thank Marty, Tim, and Ted."

Established in 1978, The DMA Hall of Fame honors direct marketing professionals' outstanding career contributions to the practice, growth, and stature of the direct marketing discipline. With the induction of the 2005 honorees, the Hall of Fame will have 87 inductees.

Martin Edelston

From a business in his basement 30 years ago, Marty Edelston built Boardroom, Inc. into a multimillion-dollar publishing empire responsible for newsletters such as Bottom Line/Personal, Bottom Line/Health, Tax Hotline, and Bottom Line/Tomorrow. Bottom Line Books, the company's book division, is recognized as one of the largest sellers of one-shot mail order books in the country. His innovations in creative, editorial, and product development have earned him widespread recognition among his peers. But it is his generosity with guidance, information, and private tutorials that rank him as one of the industry's great teachers. His "I-Power" management incentive program serves as a model for many companies, including Kodak, Ford Motor Company, and Rubbermaid. "I-Power Seminars" have been given to thousands of individuals from hundreds of companies, large and small, across the country. A generous supporter of political and educational causes focused on direct marketing, he has also encouraged several Boardroom, Inc. staff to hold leadership positions on various DMA councils and committees.

Tim Litle

For more than 35 years, Tim Litle has played a critical role in the growth and evolution of direct marketing. As the founder of Litle & Co., he was a pioneer in the development of payment processing and e-commerce systems for direct marketers, and played a key role in the creation of what eventually became the USPS Carrier Route Presort System. Litle is a past member of the DMA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. He helped found the DMA's Privacy Task Force, and is past chairman of The DMA's Committee on Ethical Business Practice, and a Board member of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation. A recognized direct marketing expert, Litle is frequently invited to speak before industry groups and professional organizations. His expertise has also been called upon by the International Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the White House during hearings on privacy issues. During his tenure, Litle & Co. was featured twice in Inc. Magazine's list of the 500 fastest growing private companies, and Litle himself has been honored with many entrepreneurial awards for his contributions to the direct marketing practice.

Ted Spiegel

One of America's most-recognized direct marketer brands, Spiegel mailed its first catalog in 1905. From 1957 to 1987, Ted Spiegel served in a variety of roles in the "family business," starting out as a women's sportswear buyer and rising to leadership roles in helping change the company's image from budget-minded chain store-type catalog to one that represented an upscale "department store in print." As the founder and president of Spiegel Marketing Associates and a current partner with the Callahan Group, he has worked as a consultant to businesses, government entities, and nonprofits since 1987. His expertise in catalog marketing and business strategy has helped clients ranging from Walt Disney to Reader's Digest to the Library of Congress. Spiegel also currently serves as professor emeritus in integrated marketing communication at Northwestern University's prestigious Medill School of Journalism. An active participant in The DMA, Spiegel has also served on the advisory board of Direct magazine and the U.S. Postal Service's marketing advisory board.

Posted by Stephen at July 7, 2005 11:00 PM

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