DALLAS–The Home Furnishings Independents Association elected a new board of directors at its annual membership meeting in June during an online Webinar. The new board is comprised of retail furniture store operators, manufacturers’ representatives and industry consultants and they will serve as directors through June 30, 2011.
“Our board is on the front lines of the furniture industry every day,” said Mary Frye, HFIA president. “They know exactly what keeps an independent retailer up at night. We continually ask ourselves, ‘What can we do for our members that they can’t do better themselves?’ ”
Steve Kidder, Vermont Furniture Galleries, will serve as board chairman, while Sam Boeke of Henry Simon Furniture Co.; Serena Cole, Duxiana; Tom McMinn Furniture; Verona Mair, The Emporium; Stan Pickett, Quality Furniture and Appliance; and Julian Mutter, Doerr Furniture, will be the board members. Other board members are Bob Bolton, Ashley Furniture; Frank Brame, Carroll Furniture; Amy Castleberry, Castleberry’s Ethan Allen Home Interiors; Bradley Chesnick, Georgetown Manor Inc.; Karen Craig, a manufacturer’s rep; David Davis, Provencal Home; Dale Dodd, Dodd Home Furnishings; Lynn Harrison Dyer, a sales rep; Randy Greengus, Sun Furniture City; Glynn Irby, Irby’s Home Furnishings; David Jacobs, Bedford Furniture Galleries; and David Lively, The Lively Merchant.
A State of the Association report was also presented during the online Webinar. “We’re finding new ways to use technology to make our organization more accessible, at zero expense, in an extremely convenient and easy to use format,” Frye said. “The feedback we’ve received from the online meetings has been very encouraging. We’re dialoguing and interacting with our membership in real time. It’s much more effective than mailing ballots or in-person meetings.”