His Leadership and Long Record of Service Continue to Shape the Industry and the OrganizationDANVILLE, CA, UNITED STATES, April 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA) named Jere Van Puffelen, EWLP a 2026 IWLA Hall of Fame inductee at its annual convention in San Antonio, Texas this week.

Van Puffelen believes in giving back, evidenced by his long history of service. He is a mentor, adviser, and contributor to the leading professional development organizations in the warehouse logistics and supply chain industries. He is the past president of the San Francisco Bay Area’s Warehouse Education Research Council; he has a rare “three-digit” CSCMP membership number; and he is a cofounder and past president of the Distribution Centers of America.

At IWLA, Van Puffelen’s service continues to shape the association:
• He founded the IWLA Ambassadors’ Council, a place for the organization’s former board chairs to act as mentors and help set the course.
• He founded the IWLA California Chapter, serving as chair for the first two years.
• He helped ensure IWLA’s future by serving on the committee Chairman Darby Strickland appointed to review bylaws changes and the implementation process.
• He served on three IWLA Convention Planning Committees.
• He is a member and contributor to the IWLA Political Action Committee.
• He served on the marketing committee overseeing IWLA rebranding in 2013.
• He chaired the IWLA Government Affairs, the IWLA Education Committee, the Council of Chairs, and the IWLA Ambassadors’ Council.
• He served as an IWLA director for four years and as an executive committee member for another four. He was the 2009-2020 IWLA Chairman.

His inclusion in the inaugural IWLA Hall of Fame class joins a long list of industry accolades:

• Annual Service Award Associated Warehouses, Inc. (AWI) – 2013
• IWLA Distinguished Service & Leadership Award – 2014
• IWLA Government Affairs Award – 2023
• He is the first-ever IWLA Executive Warehouse Logistics Professional (EWLP) – 2015.

Van Puffelen is chairman of the board of PRISM Team Services, the company he founded in 1993 with partner Paul Van de Roovaart. His journey with IWLA began in 1974, when the organization was still known as the American Warehouse Association. At the time, he was a lumper at Acme Delivery in Denver, CO. He eventually became Acme’s vice president of sales and marketing. From there, Van Puffelen held a similar position at Retail Merchants Industries in Columbus, OH, before moving to Danville, CA, as president of Transbay Distribution Centers and then the National Distribution Agency.
His accomplishments outside warehouse logistics further reflect his commitment to service:

• Assistant Scoutmaster
• Eagle Scout
• Director of the Christian United Fellowship Foundation
• Director of Abundant Life Ministries Uganda

Before his career in logistics, Van Puffelen served as the physical director of the YMCA Family Center in Savannah, Georgia, for 5 years. He was also president of the Georgia Chapter of the YMCA Professional Directors and served on the Southeast Region Board of APD.

Van Puffelen and his wife of 53 years, Judy, have five children (and 13 grandchildren). Two sons are in the family business: Jeremy is the company president, serves on the IWLA Executive Committee, and will serve as the 2027-2028 board chair, and Zech is Prism’s vice president of transportation and customer service. Van Puffelen attended Armstrong State College.