American Furniture Hall of Fame nominations open

Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, February 15, 2012

HIGH POINT — The American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation has opened nominations for Industry Fellow candidates and inductees into the American Furniture Hall of Fame later this year.

Foundation members are eligible to nominate, second and vote. An independent selection committee will choose the best qualified Fellow candidates for the ballot. Industry Fellows are then determined by a membership vote and a points-based rating by the selection committee.

Foundation members are entitled to nominate a candidate to become an Industry Fellow and then elect inductees to the Hall of Fame from among this year's Fellows, said Kurt Darrow, foundation president and president, chairman and CEO of La-Z-Boy.

"Please consider nominating a peer who exemplifies enduring excellence, superior accomplishments, innovation and creativity, and philanthropic generosity of their time, talents and resources," he said in a release. "There is no higher honor than to be nominated by one's peers in recognition of a career of achievement and service."

Each nominee must conduct business in the United States; have served in the industry for at least 15 years and have created a legacy as a positive influence and champion of the industry. Deceased nominees may not have died in the 12 months prior to the nomination.

Nominations may be made from Feb. 15 through March 16. Ballots, along with a list of nominees and their biographical information, will be mailed in early June, and winners will be announced and inducted at the American Furniture Hall of Fame banquet Oct. 14, during the fall High Point Market.

Nomination forms and lists of current members, previous nominees and inductees are available at http://furniturehalloffame.com/ or by calling (336) 882-5900 for printed document copies.

Foundation individual and corporate memberships range from $250 to $1,000. All contributions are tax deductible. Checks should be made payable to American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation and sent to 202 Neal Place, High Point, N.C. 27262.

To make a nomination, re-nomination or posthumous nomination, members should complete the nomination form and include a print or digital 300 dpi resolution photo of the candidate. All nominations must be seconded in writing by another foundation member.

If selected for the ballot, there is a nomination and re-nomination fee of $500 to cover the costs of the nomination process.