ADL to honor three at June 11 gala
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, April 6, 2009
NEW YORK — A trio of industry veterans — Jeff Cook, Lester Gribetz and Gordon Segal — will be honored June 11 at the annual National Home Furnishings Industry dinner and awards gala to benefit the Anti-Defamation League.
The tribute, to be held at the Grand Hyatt NYC, is a key fundraiser for the ADL, which works to promote civil rights and democratic ideals and to battle bigotry.
Cook will receive the American Heritage Award, Gribetz the Lifetime Achievement Award and Segal the Lifetime Humanitarian Award. The honors recognize each man's professional accomplishments and involvement in community and industry endeavors.
Industry chairs for the ADL event are Neil Goldberg of Raymour & Flanigan and Joe Laneve of Bloomingdale's. Vice chairs are Kurt Darrow of La-Z-Boy and Gary Fazio of Mattress Firm, and Norman Waxman is chairman emeritus.
For information, registration or to post messages in the tribute publication, contact the ADL's Judy Master at jmaster@adl.org or by phone at (212) 885-7857.
Gribetz, a former vice chairman of Bloomingdale's, has earned the respect and admiration of colleagues during a career spanning six decades. A New York University graduate and Army veteran, he joined Bloomingdale's in 1951 as an executive trainee under Marvin Traub. He left in 1991 to do private consulting and returned a few years later.
In 1996, he moved to sister company Macy's to direct its creative home merchandising. In 2000, he went back to private consulting, becoming the executive vice president of product development and marketing for Waterford/Wedgewood, executive vice president of Hartmann Luggage, and a consultant to other high-end companies.
Among his many industry recognitions are City of Hope's Lifetime Achievement Award and leadership awards from the home textiles industry and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Cook, president of manufacturer and importer Broyhill Furniture Inds., had a humble start in the industry 33 years ago — unloading trucks and running errands for manufacturer Brookwood Furniture. After college, he rejoined Brookwood at a new venture, Carolina Chair, learning manufacturing processes and customer service.
Later, he worked in sales and management for a number of furniture companies, including Lea Inds. and Sumter Cabinet. In 1998, he joined importer Magnussen Home Furnishings, serving as its president and CEO from 2002 to 2007. During his tenure, the company had a six-fold increase in sales.
Since joining Broyhill, he has worked to build a dynamic leadership team while honoring the 104-year-old company's history and taking care of its people. Throughout his career, he has been active in industry and civic organizations.
Segal is founder and chairman of Northbrook, Ill.-based Crate and Barrel, a Top 100 retailer. In 1962, Gordon and Carole Segal had a dream to create a new contemporary housewares and home furnishings business, with a goal to make design a part of everyday life in America. Today, Crate and Barrel has more than 160 stores, a successful gift registry, a thriving direct marketing business and annual sales of $1.3 billion.
In addition to running the business, Gordon Segal has been involved in industry and civic organizations and is former chairman of the National Retail Federation. He has won a number of awards, including induction into the World Retail Hall of Fame by the World Retail Congress in 2007.
ADL dinner honors Gribetz, Segal, Cook
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