Lovlien joins the ARA of California board
By Connie Lannan
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Lovlien joins the ARA of California board

Meghann Lovlien, fourth-generation rental operator at her family's equipment rental company, A Tool Shed, headquartered in Santa Cruz, Calif., was recently appointed to the ARA of California board.

“I am excited to be joining the board. My dad [Robert Pedersen] has served on the ARA [American Rental Association] board. I have grown up around the ARA and CRA [the California Rental Association]. I would like to continue that service and help provide events and education for our members,” she says.

Even though Lovlien grew up in the industry and helped out along the way, she didn’t take a direct route into the family business.

“I went to school and received my master’s in exercise physiology. After school I worked in corporate fitness. I worked for a company called Exos, which also provided gyms for Tesla. I worked there for six years and was the manager for seven sites. My goal was to move into management and get that experience under me before I moved over to the family business,” she says.

She came back to A Tool Shed about a year and a half ago as corporate officer in charge of accounts payable and marketing. “Coming back to the family business always has been in the back of my mind. As I got older, coming back became more of a definite plan. I wanted to work with my family. I love the company and love what we do. I am excited to get to know the company and our industry better. That is why I wanted to volunteer for the ARA of California board,” she says.

Even before she returned to the business, she helped implement a stretching program for employees before they start work and after their lunch break. “I have done that with other companies I have worked with. It helps, especially with heavy lifting and in preventing workers’ compensation claims. It is a great way to warm up your muscles. Now that I am here full-time, I am pushing that more,” she says.

Lovlien brings a lot of diverse skills to her board position. “I am a young professional, so I have a different perspective from that and from my management experience at other companies. I also am good at planning events. Education-wise, I was in charge of all the education at my previous job, which included sending employees to conferences and bringing in professional speakers. I know how to set those up. I also know how to connect with people, so I can pull those experiences in to assist the board,” she says.

Being in Santa Cruz, Lovlien would like to help the ARA of California set up more training events in different areas of California. “I know the board has offered several events in the Sacramento or L.A. areas. The state is huge, and many times those in the Bay Area or farther north find it hard to get to those events. I know the Young Professional Network offers a lot. I have attended some of their conferences and events. I would like to see more young professionals from California get involved. I also would like to be more actively involved legislatively. California is poised to implement mandates for more electrical equipment, but it is difficult for some equipment to go all-electric,” she says.

Lovlien is eager to get started and be an active board member. “I want to learn more about the ARA, what the ARA of California board can do for members and how I can help,” she says.

Connie Lannan

Connie LannanConnie Lannan

Connie Lannan is special projects editor for Rental Management. She helps plan, coordinate, write and edit ARA’s quarterly regional newsletters, In Your Region. She also researches, writes and edits news and feature articles for Rental Management, Rental Pulse, supplements, special reports and other special projects. Outside of work, she loves to bake for others, go for walks with her husband and volunteer for her church and causes she believes in.

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