Home Furnishings Independents Association names Steve Kidder chairman

Group's members elect new board during online webinar

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, August 3, 2009

DALLAS — Steve Kidder of Vermont Furniture Galleries, Williston, Vt., heads a slate of new members as chairman of the Home Furnishings Independents Assn. board of directors.

HFIA members elected the new board at the association's annual membership meeting, during an 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," said HFIA President Mary Frye.

In addition to the board election, a State of the Association report was presented during the webinar.

"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," Frye added.

The board includes retailers, sales representatives and industry consultants. New members will serve through June 30, 2011.

Kidder said he will focus attention on communicating HFIA benefits, helping members match programs to their needs, and implementing those programs effectively in their organizations.

Other officers include Sam Boeke, Henry Simon Furniture Co., Madison, Wis.; Serena Cole, Duxiana, Dallas; Tom McMinn, McMinn Furniture, Odessa, Texas; Verona Mair, The Emporium, Ponca City, Okla.; Stan Pickett, Quality Furniture and Appliance, Mesquite, Texas; and Julian Mutter, Doerr Furniture, New Orleans.

Other board members are Bob Bolton, Ashley Furniture, Victoria, Texas; Frank Brame, Carroll Furniture, Alexandria, La.; Amy Castleberry, Castleberry's Ethan Allen Home Interiors, Tulsa, Okla.; Bradley Chesnick, Georgetown Manor, Houston; Karen Craig, a Houston-based sales rep; David Davis, Provencal Home, Austin, Texas; Dale Dodd, Dodd Home Furnishings, Guin, Ala.; Lynn Harrison Dyer, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based sales rep; Randy Greengus, Sun Furniture City, Shreveport, La.; Glynn Irby, Irby's Home Furnishings, Clute, Texas; David A. Jacobs, Bedford Furniture Galleries, Bedford, Ind.; and David Lively of The Lively Merchant, Lancaster, Ohio.

"Our board is on the front lines of the furniture industry every day," said Frye. "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?' We rely on the board's insight and oversight to develop a mix of services to save our members time and money."

HFIA says it has one of the lowest dues structures in the industry and offers its members exceptional value in such benefits as bankcard processing, insurance, office supplies, computer services, e-mail marketing and Web site solutions. The association is online at www.hfia.com, and Frye can be reached at mary@hfia.com or at (800) 942-HOME.