The Direct Selling Education Foundation Names 2019 Circle of Honor Inductees

(AUSTIN, TEXAS. – June 5, 2019) – In conjunction with its annual meeting, the U.S. Direct Selling Association (DSA), the national trade association for companies that offer entrepreneurial opportunities to independent contractors who choose to sell products and services direct to customers, announced top honors to the industry’s standout companies at its 2019 DSA Awards gala in Austin, Texas. In addition, the Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) announced three new inductees to its prestigious Circle of Honor.

DSA Awards

DSA Awards recognize the outstanding programs DSA member companies have implemented. The 2019 DSA Awards category winners are:

DSA Highest Performing Companies

DSA also announced the 2019 highest performing member companies, recognizing those with the top net sales in the United States for 2018:

“Direct selling is a proven, go-to-market strategy that continues to have a significant impact on the way both entrepreneurs and corporations do business,” said Joseph N. Mariano, president of U.S. Direct Selling Association (DSA). “We applaud these companies for the products they offer consumers, the entrepreneurial opportunities they offer millions of Americans, and their dedication to ensuring the highest levels of consumer protection.”

DSEF Circle of Honor Winners

The Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) also announced the recipients of its highest honors during the DSA gala. The DSEF Circle of Honor recognizes industry leaders, academics and consumer advocates who made extraordinary contributions to the Direct Selling Education Foundation through personal efforts.

The 2019 inductees into the DSEF Circle of Honor were Dr. Victoria Crittenden, Professor of Marketing and Babson Research Scholar at Babson College; Dr. Linda Ferrell, Marketing Department Chair, and Professor of Marketing at Auburn University; and Dr. Greg W. Marshall, The Charles Harwood Professor of Marketing & Strategy at Rollins College. The three professors were integral in helping exceed the Foundations’ three-year goals, reaching 70,000 college students and building the DSEF Academic Fellows to more than 200 members.

“Since 2016, each of our newest DSEF Circle of Honor inductees has brought their very unique strengths, knowledge, and networks to DSEF to advance the foundation’s efforts to engage and educate the academic community on the ways direct selling empowers individuals, supports communities and strengthens economies worldwide,” said Gary Huggins, executive director of DSEF. “Their tireless efforts have produced published research related to direct selling, inclusion of direct selling in influential textbooks and academic symposia. This group has also been instrumental in launching a new Doctoral Sales Student Grant Program and shaping the vision for the Foundation.”

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ABOUT THE DIRECT SELLING ASSOCIATION

The Direct Selling Association (DSA) is the national trade association for companies that offer entrepreneurial opportunities to independent sellers to market and sell products and services, typically outside of a fixed retail establishment. In 2018, direct selling took place across the United States, generating $35.4 billion in retail sales. More than six million entrepreneurs in the U.S. are selling products or services through the direct selling channel, providing a personalized buying experience for more than 36.6 million customers.