Sandra T. Larson, senior director and counsel government affairs for the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), has received the Northwest Automatic Vendors Association (NAVA) William L. “Bill” Herbord Award, NAMA Executive Vice President and COO Dan Mathews, NCE5, CCS, announced.
“To honor his fine example of dedication and giving, the Herbord award recognizes the professional, selfless and exemplary contributions to our regional vending industry during the past year by a member of NAVA,” said Mike Brown, NAVA president, in a prepared statement.
Larson was one of three nominees proposed for this honor by the president, vice president and secretary of NAVA. The members of NAVA vote on the three nominees at the annual meeting and select the winner. She was presented with a plaque at the group’s recently annual meeting.
“For the past 16 years, it has been rewarding to work with NAVA, providing counsel to our members in Government and Industry Affairs,” said Larson. “This recognition was a real honor for me, both personally and professionally.”
She has worked closely with consultants in Oregon and Washington on legislative issues, served as advisor to the board of governors and officers and attended all of their meetings. She has also worked with the member, education and public relations committees. Her office supports NAVA with their annual meeting, working on education and speakers for the event, and coordinating with the auction chairman on the fundraising auction.
Larson works in NAMA’s Pasadena, Calif., office and is responsible for the state councils in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Texas and Hawaii, and also NAVA, comprising the states of Washington, Oregon and Alaska. In recent years, she has provided counsel at the federal level on issues including the ADA, calorie disclosure and coin and currency.
A graduate of University of California at Los Angeles with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she earned her law degree from Southwestern University of Law in Los Angeles. Before joining NAMA, she was deputy trial counsel for the State Bar of California. Larson is married to John B. Larson, an attorney in private practice in Pasadena, Calif. They have two adult children, Kirsten and Erik.
“We are so proud of Sandy and congratulate her on the hard work and dedication that this award recognizes. She is a very valued member of our team at NAMA and we are delighted that NAVA recognizes her significant contributions to our industry as well,” concluded Mathews.
