Shoemaker first woman to lead IHFRA in rep group's 68 years
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 24, 2002
HIGH POINT — Paula Shoemaker, the first female president of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Assn., was installed during the association's 68th Anniversary Presidential Gala here this month.
Shoemaker, who has worked in home furnishings for 17 years, said that her rise to the helm of the 68-year-old IHFRA is significant partly because there are many more women in the industry today.
"I'm not sure women always felt welcome in the industry," she said, "but things have changed among retailers, manufacturers and representatives groups."
Also during the gala, Dody Weil accepted the Rudy Steltemeier Award of Excellence for her late husband, Bert Weil. His lines included Philip Reinisch and D.R. Kincaid Chair Co., which Mrs. Weil continues to represent.
| Thomas Schuckert, left, first vice president of IHFRA, and newly installed President Paula Shoemaker. |
| Dody Weil, center, accepts the Rudy Steltemeier Award of Excellence on behalf of her late husband, Bert Weil, from IHFRA's Bob Bruns, left, and Frank Evanoff. |
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