Greetings, American Rental Association (ARA) members! My name is Katie Stewart, ARA member services account specialist. I joined ARA in 2021 and am pleased to serve as your primary contact with the association.
I was born and raised — and even attended college — in Moline, Ill., home of ARA’s headquarters, and currently reside in the nearby community of Rock Island. In my spare time, I love to read, write, play board games with friends and family, work out and hike. My favorite hiking excursion (so far) was in the Smoky Mountains, where my favorite trail was the Alum Cave trail to the top of Mount LeConte. I’ve also hiked in the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Canyon. I am in love with our national parks and have a goal of visiting all of them.
Another fun fact about me is that, through a blended family, I am the youngest of seven siblings: I have two brothers, two half-sisters, a stepbrother and a stepsister.
If I had to put my finger on one specific ARA product or service that particularly excites me about the value of membership, it would have to be the Legal Assistance partnership with James Waite, Esq. This program, which offers up to two free hours of legal consultation, can be molded to assist you with your specific needs. You can communicate with Waite about legal issues specific to your company and decide on how you would like to continue forward. With all the uncertainty and craziness that businesses face today, it is nice to know you can at least begin the conversation and have the option to go further than those two free hours if you need it without having to spend a large amount of time finding legal counsel that is knowledgeable about rental-specific issues.
If you have any questions or concerns about your ARA membership, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at kaitlyn.stewart@ararental.org or 800-334-2177, ext. 236.
I look forward to speaking with many of you in the future!