Bienenstock Furniture Library Announces 2023 Board Updates

Furniture World News Desk on 1/11/2023

2023 Board Members include board President Dudley Moore, Jr., (left); Vice President Brian Simpson (middle) and two new board members, Jane Dagmi (right) and Sumner ‘Sandy’ Finch (not pictured).

The Bienenstock Furniture Library announces updates to its 2023 Board of Directors including Dudley Moore, Jr., in the role of board president; Brian Simpson as vice president; and two additional home furnishings industry executives, Jane Dagmi and Sumner ‘Sandy’ Finch, as new board members.

Moore is president and co-owner of Otto & Moore, Inc. Furniture Designers. Founded in High Point in 1960, the award-winning company is one of the largest independent furniture design firms in the home furnishings industry, as well as a scholarship sponsor for the library’s annual student Furniture Design Competition. In addition to serving on the Bienenstock board of directors, Moore is past president and current chairman of the board for the International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD).

Simpson is vice president and creative director for Alderman Company where he manages a team of art directors, graphic designers, programmers, and imaging professionals. He founded the company’s digital imaging and web development departments, which are critical links in Alderman’s full-service continuum of services. Simpson has been an instrumental contributor to the library’s digital communications development.

Dagmi is executive director of High Point by Design (HPxD), responsible for connecting buyers to the organization’s exhibitor-members through year-round programming. She is formerly editor-in-chief of Designers Today magazine, and her educational degrees include an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Interior Design from Parsons. Dagmi was a keynote speaker at the inaugural Future Designers Summit event organized by the library in 2021, and she also serves as a High Point Market Authority (HPMA) board member. 

Finch owned and operated a high-end upholstery manufacturing company before selling it to Theodore Alexander in 2012. Since then he has served on numerous boards, with an emphasis on sharing his expertise in finance. His father was Furniture Hall of Fame member Tom A. Finch, and his grandfather was T. Austin Finch, who was the son of Thomas J. Finch, founder of Thomasville Chair Company, which became Thomasville Furniture Industries in the early 1960s.

The board positions are for two-year terms, effective this month, according to Executive Director Karla Jones. 

“With our signature, student-focused initiatives, the Bienenstock Furniture Library is proud to help launch the next generation of design professionals in our industry, and we look to our board of directors for their experience and industry connections in support of this goal,” says Jones, who oversaw development of the annual Future Designers Summit, launched in 2021. “We’re excited for this year’s board updates, and thank outgoing board president Christi Spangle for her outstanding efforts over the last two years.” 

About the Bienenstock Furniture Library
The Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library is a worldwide center for research, design, and collaboration.  It holds the world's largest collection of rare and significant books on the history and design of furniture, with more than 5,000 volumes.

The Library is located in High Point, NC and is open to members of the home furnishings industry, students and the general public. The Library was founded in 1970 with an endowment from Furniture World Magazine and the Bienenstock family. It is supported by a board of directors from nearly every facet of the home furnishings industry. It is devoted to the advancement of knowledge about design, furniture, interiors, architecture, textiles, finishes, and constructions.

The Library's rare book collection contains volumes published since 1543. A special climate-controlled room houses these rare volumes. It is a treasure trove of inspiration for anyone interested in home furnishings and interior design.  

The Library's facilities include the Vuncannon Seminar Room, the high-tech Hadley Court Center for Design Collaboration and the Pat Plaxico Sculpture Gardens.  These areas are available for seminars, classes, events, meetings, design collaborations, networking and design retreats for a small honorarium.

For more information visit www.furniturelibrary.com or contact Karla Webb, Library Director at info@furniturelibrary.com or 336-883-4011.