The Wheaton Blog

Women’s History Month: Gloria Pugh, AMWAT smashes glass ceiling in Florida

November 29, 2022 | Wheaton News & Events

The Professional Movers Association of Florida (PMAF) has recently announced that the association’s Board of Directors unanimously elected Gloria Pugh – co-founder of AMWAT Moving Warehousing Storage, an interstate agent for Wheaton World Wide Moving – to serve as PMAF President for the 2021 – 2022 year. This vote marks a historic event for PMAF, as Gloria will be the first woman ever elected to serve as President in the association’s 42-year history.

Gloria and her husband founded their company in Tallahassee almost 25 years ago and have been part of The Wheaton Group network since 2008. She previously served as the Florida Consumer Council Chair, where the council evaluated trending consumer complaints in multiple service-related industries, including the moving industry, and made suggestions to the Florida legislature regarding laws to protect Florida consumers. As a member of the Council, Gloria also made consumer protection educational recommendations to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“When you think of a moving company, you probably don’t imagine a woman at the lead,” said Gloria Pugh, newly elected President of the Professional Movers Association of Florida. “I am so honored to pave the way for women in the moving industry, advocate on behalf of all licensed professional movers and collaborate with the state of Florida to ensure consumers are protected and educated.” 

Those of us at the van line find it to be no surprise that Gloria has reached such heights in the industry.

“Gloria is sharp,” said Paul O. Salmon, Eastern Regional Sales Director for The Wheaton Group. “You can always count on Gloria to see what’s coming next for movers in Florida and to be ahead of the curve. She’ll do an excellent job as president of PMAF.”

Moving in Florida is a billion-dollar industry, with nearly 1,000 people moving to Florida every day, coupled with thousands of Floridians moving daily within the state – these numbers are set to increase due to economic changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. PMAF was founded to connect these consumers with dedicated professionals and act as a collective voice for the more than 1,200 licensed movers throughout the state of Florida.

“Gloria is a fantastic addition to the Executive Board, and I cannot wait to see how she and the other members will continue to improve our association,” said Andy Newitt, Past President of the Professional Movers Association of Florida. “Gloria was unanimously voted for this position because we recognized that she is passionate about the moving industry and will help to build this association in a positive direction to continue to serve our members and the community.” 

Congratulations, Gloria! We know you’ll continue to do AMWAT and The Wheaton Group proud!

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