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IFDA ANNOUNCES ITS 2006 INTERNATIONAL BOARD—First Int‘l Board and Council of Presidents meetings to be held Feb. 16 and 17, 2006, in Atlanta, GA— PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ, JANUARY 10, 2006–Mark H. Jeross, a former president of the organization‘s Michigan Chapter, has been elected president of the International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) for 2006. Mr. Jeross, national sales manager of Royal Crest, Inc., manufacturer of custom window coverings in Oak Park, Michigan, has been an active IFDA member since 1995. "Our thrust this year will be to increase our membership and infuse new excitement into the organization," says Jeross. "I am particularly pleased to announce the formation of the new Richmond, Virginia chapter, which I see as a springboard to the creation of other new chapters—not only in the United States, but also in other parts of the globe." With 15 chapters plus a recently formed unit in China, IFDA draws professionals from the disparate worlds of design, manufacture, retailing, marketing, advertising, education and public relations. The new international president will preside over a board that includes President-elect Judith Clark-Janofsky, FIFDA, a Northern California Chapter member who is an interior designer and owner of Design Elements, a home furnishings/design store in Danville, California; and Treasurer Sheila M. Cole, FIFDA, of the Minnesota Chapter, who manages her own interior design firm, Shecole Inc., in Minneapolis. New directors at large are: Rose B. Gilbert, FIFDA, member of the New York Chapter for nearly 30 years and a widely published author and columnist in architecture and design; Ann Unal, member of the Washington, D.C., Chapter for the past 10 years and a specialist in kitchen and bath design; and Karen Wirrig, member of the Arizona Chapter since 1997 and founder-owner of Phoenix‘s Karen Cole Designs, focusing on commercial as well as residential interior design. Returning to the board will be Carolyn B. Meek, FIFDA, of the New England Chapter, as secretary and chapter liaison; Joan Summers Croft, FIFDA, of the Northern California Chapter, assigned to membership; and Mervyn Kaufman, FIFDA, of the New York Chapter, who will oversee public relations/ marketing. Lana Seagren, an Arizona-based interior designer, will be treasurer-elect. Past President Lee K. Coggin, FIFDA, of the Georgia Chapter will act as Advisor to the Board. Presiding over the Educational Foundation, IFDA‘s nonprofit grant- and scholarship-awarding wing, will be Wilma S. Hammett, FIFDA, a longtime member of the Carolinas Chapter. IFDA‘s first International Board and Council of Presidents meetings will take place February 16 and 17, 2006, in Atlanta, Georgia. The host chapter is planning a special program whose opening day kickoff speaker will be James Hawreluk of the consulting firm Predictive Index. His talk will focus on developing and refining "people skills" plus surefire ways to sharpen a professional‘s approach to doing projects. Founded in 1947, IFDA is structured to provide a professional forum for communication and interaction among its high-profile members, promote career advancement and educational opportunities, and increase public awareness of the furnishings and design industry through specialized programming and service to the community. |
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