American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation Hosts Future Leaders Dinners
Furniture World News Desk on
4/2/2019
The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. announced that it will recognize nine Future Leaders as promising rising stars. The dinners, including emerging leaders and Hall of Fame inductees, will feature a guided discussion on leadership and innovation, led by Steve Pond, the founder of FurnitureToday.
“In preparing to pass the torch to tomorrow’s leaders, it is important to take the time to recognize and encourage the rising stars,” says David Gebhart, president of the Foundation board of directors. “We have found that these small dinners among just five future leaders and five Hall of Fame inductees provide inspiration and lifelong significance. At the same time, the inductees have shared that they are equally inspired by the creativity and enthusiasm of the next wave of leaders.”
Each Future Leader was selected for their leadership, personal growth, communications skills and their commitment to the greater home furnishings industry. Together they represent retail, home accents, casegoods manufacturing, upholstery manufacturing, finance, furniture design, technology and sales.
At the April 3 dinner hosted by Foundation Board Chairman Jeff Child of RC Willey, the future leaders will include Suzanne Guy, vice president of business development, Prestige Arts & Art Trends; Jay Lorenzo, sales representative, AICO; Jessica Norby, sales and marketing director, Artiste Furniture, a division of A.R.T. Furniture; Matt Schewel, director of store operations, Schewel Furniture Company; and Kayla Wallace, vice president of client relationships, FurnitureDealer.net. Inductees include Aminy Audi, chairman and CEO, L. & J.G. Stickley, Inc.; John Bray, chairman and CEO, Vanguard Furniture; Jena Hall, president and chief creative officer, Jena Hall Associates; and Samuel Kuo, cofounder and chairman of Samson Holding Ltd.
The future leaders at the April 5 dinner, hosted by Foundation Board President David Gebhart of Global Views will include Ashley Childers, creative director/designer, Emporium Home; Jason Phillips, vice president, Phillips Collection; Troy Pittenger, vice president of finance, Norwalk Furniture; and Shane Pohlman, director of furniture, Nebraska Furniture Mart. Inductees will include Donald Belgrad, former president and CEO, Schnadig International Corp; Art DeFehr, CEO, Palliser Furniture Ltd.; Keith Koenig, co-founder and president of City Furniture; Paul B. Toms, Jr., chairman and CEO of Hooker Furniture Corp.; and Ron Wanek, founder and chairman, Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc.
Future Leaders, representing diverse categories across the industry, were selected as an emerging leader who is 25 to 35 years of age, willing to join a guided discussion with inductees about leadership and innovation, an innovator, a leader among peers, and highly engaged with the home furnishings industry. Their roles with their companies varied widely.
About The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc.: The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation is an industry-wide organization founded to preserve its history, to celebrate exceptional individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the U.S. home furnishings industry, and to inspire a new class of innovation and leadership. Membership includes eligibility to nominate candidates for consideration by the Selection Committee, and the opportunity to help preserve the history and heritage of the industry. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, 92 percent of all funds support our history and leadership programming. The organization currently is currently in the process of acquiring its first home in High Point, and can be reached at 336.882.5900.