Caroline Hipple, Chairperson, Industry Fellow Selection Committee
The American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. has opened nominations for new candidates to become an Industry Fellow and to be inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame later this year. Only Foundation members are eligible to nominate, second and vote.
This year, a new process of nominations also has been added. The Industry Fellow Selection Committee is chaired by Caroline Hipple, principal and founder of HB2 Resources. Other committee members are Russell Bienenstock, editor, president and CEO of Furniture World; Gerry Borreggine, president and CEO of Therapedic Inc.; Andy Counts, president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance; Steve DeHaan, president of the National Home Furnishings Assoc.; Sara Lyke, executive director of WithIt Inc.; and Bill Markowitz, president of The Veneman Group. The committee will explore the industry for additional nominations and will then recommend a slate which includes those nominations made by Foundation members.
Our new approach is a more thoughtful and comprehensive search for leaders who represent high standards of enduring excellence, superior accomplishments, innovation and creativity, and philanthropic generosity, says Jeff Cook, president of the Foundation and president of A.R.T. Furniture Inc. It is comprised of Foundation board members and other industry leaders to ensure that we explore the industry across retail, manufacturing, design and supplier lines in a quest to honor and recognize our great leaders.
Industry Fellows will be determined by the combination of a vote of the membership and a points-based rating of each nominee by the Industry Fellow Selection Committee. Each nominee must conduct business in the United States; have served in the industry for at least 15 years and have created a legacy as a positive influence and champion of the industry. If deceased, the individual may not have died in the 12 months prior to the date of the nomination.
Members may make nominations between March 14 and April 29. Ballots, along with a list of nominees and their biographical information, will be mailed in early June. The winners will be announced and inducted at the American Furniture Hall of Fame banquet on October 23 during the Fall High Point Market.
Nomination forms and lists of current members, previous nominees and inductees are available on the Foundation website at www.furniturehalloffame.com. Printed copies of the documents are available by calling 336.882.5900.
To join the Hall of Fame Foundation, individual and corporate memberships range from $250 to $1,000. All contributions are tax deductible. Checks should be made payable to American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation and sent to 202 Neal Place, High Point, NC 27262.
To make a nomination, re-nomination or posthumous nomination, Foundation members should complete the Nomination Form found on the website at www.furniturehalloffame.com. A print or digital 300 dpi photo of the candidate must be enclosed. All nominations must be seconded, in writing, by another Foundation member. An independent selection committee will choose best qualified candidates for the final ballot. If selected for the ballot, there is a nomination fee of $250 to cover the costs of the nomination process.
The completed nomination package must be postmarked no later than April 29, 2011, and sent to American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc., 202 Neal Place, High Point, NC 27262.
The American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. is an international, industry-wide organization founded to honor those individuals whose outstanding achievements have contributed to the continued growth and development of the U.S. furniture industry, as well as to research, collect and preserve our cultural, economic and artistic history. Membership includes eligibility to vote for inductees into the American Furniture Hall of Fame, and the opportunity to help preserve the history and heritage of the industry. The organization is based in High Point, North Carolina at 202 Neal Place, and can be reached at 336.882.5900.