(May/June 2025) Awards-and-gift supplier Crystal D added industry veteran Ray Rodriguez to its sales leadership team and promoted Tawauna Garner to solutions manager.

Rodriguez consulted with the Saint Paul, Minneapolis–based company over the past six months and then joined the team as vice president of sales.

“Ray’s deep industry knowledge, along with his extensive experience with strategic planning and relationship building, have already made him a trusted adviser for Crystal D,” says Bridget Dahlgren, executive vice president of marketing and sales. “Ray’s commitment to serving our customers and maintaining high standards aligns with Crystal D and our passion to be the very best.”

Rodriguez has more than 30 years of experience in sales management within promotional and premium businesses. He’s had roles at top-40 suppliers and distributors and has also owned and managed his own real estate brokerage. In addition to his new role at Crystal D, Rodriguez will continue to run 5PPromo, his consulting business for suppliers and distributors, and navigate the Mexico market with AmeriMex, a division of 5PPromo.

At Crystal D, Rodriguez will train and develop sales proficiencies to help implement, execute, and grow awards and recognition programs.

“I am blessed to work with Crystal D and its team,” says Rodriguez. “They are committed to being the best in the awards and recognition space. I’ll see everyone on the road.”

Tawauna Garner—a longtime, award-winning Crystal D employee—was promoted to solutions manager. This is the latest in a series of promo-tions for Garner inside Crystal D’s sales team—known as the Solutions Team.

“Tawauna has been our lead solutions specialist for the past year, and she has consistently gone above and beyond,” says Dahlgren. “She has demonstrated outstanding leadership and care for her team, as well as her customers, and we’re excited to see her step into this new role.”

In her new role, the Solutions Team will report to Garner, and she will continue her responsibilities to simplify the project ideation, design, and quoting process.

Garner has worked at Crystal D since 2016, holding several roles in customer service and sales and earning accolades inside the company and within the industry.