Garden City Furniture announced that Dianne W. Ray has been elected as Vice-President of the National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA) and Joey Ray has been named to the Board of Directors for the Southern Home Furnishings Association (SHFA), an affiliate of the NHFA serving North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia.
As a child, Dianne recalls her father’s involvement as a member of the SHFA. “My father always told me that if you were going to be in business, you had better be involved in the organizations that support you,” said Dianne. “Dad served in all the offices of the SHFA, and he encouraged me to become involved when I took over the store.” As Past President of the SHFA, Dianne was proud when her son, Joey, was asked to represent Garden City Furniture as the third generation on the Board of Directors in 2010.
Dianne also remembers when women were first recognized in the home furnishings industry, and she was asked to serve on the Board of Directors of the SHFA at a time when the feminist movement was sweeping the industry. “I never dreamed this would lead to a leadership role at the national level,” said Dianne, who was elected as Vice President in 2009 and will serve as Executive Vice President of the nation’s largest organization devoted specifically to the needs and interests of home furnishings retailers in 2010.
The NHFA’s membership comprises 2,800 corporate entities representing 10,000 stores in all 50 states and several foreign countries. “The networking has been invaluable for our business,” Dianne said. “All of the members have the same objective, and I’ve had the opportunity to listen to larger retailers and learn from them. I always take at least one thing home from every meeting that I can tweak and apply in our store. The information, ideas and resources have helped us solve or avoid many business problems.”
The Rays enjoy giving back to the industry and making it better for retailers and customers alike. Dianne notes, “With the cooperation of the members and the incredible staff at the NHFA, we’ve been involved in the launch of new programs and services such as HomeFurnishings.com that will help retailers establish an internet presence, and consumers find dependable resources to buy furniture.”