Passaglia named new ISPA chairman

David Perry -- Furniture Today, March 15, 2013

Ron Passaglia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Bedding veteran Ron Passaglia, president and chief marketing officer at Top 15 bedding producer Restonic, has been elected chairman of the International Sleep Products Assn.

Also elected to a leadership post at ISPA was Kathryn Roedel, executive vice president and chief technology and services officer at airbed producer/retailer Select Comfort. She was elected vice chairman and is in line to become chairman of ISPA. She would be only the second woman - Gigi Giersch of Restonic was the first in 1996 - to head ISPA.

Four new trustees were elected by the membership to ISPA's Board of Trustees. They are: Iv Culp, president of Culp's mattress ticking division; Jim O'Donnell, vice president of sales development for Tempur-Pedic International; Robert Simpton, executive vice president for Lady Americana Associates, Inc.; and Valerie Stranix, chief marketing officer for Rev.

With the expiration of his term as chairman of the ISPA board, Gerry Borreggine, president of Therapedic International, has now assumed the role of immediate past chairman.

"I congratulate our new officers on their election and welcome the new trustees to the ISPA board," said ISPA President Ryan Trainer. "Generous volunteers like these, who dedicate their time and creative energy for the betterment of the entire industry, founded this association nearly 100 years ago and are what keeps it vibrant and relevant to this industry today. I look forward to working with them and getting their input on the issues we currently face."

Board members who were re-elected as trustees were Roger Coffey, Latexco West LLC; Aslan Cohen, Spring Air Mexico; Tom Eisenberg, Latex International; Adam Lava, A. Lava & Son Co.; Tony Smith, Simmons Bedding Co.; and Scott Veitzer, Omaha Bedding Co.

Rick Anderson, Tempur-Pedic International; Don Wright, Wright Global Graphic Solutions; Michael Crowell, Flexible Foam Products, Inc.; Dean Woods, Hodder Lumber Co.; and John Larsen, Sound Sleep Products have completed their terms on the ISPA board.

The elections where held at ISPA's recent Industry Conference, held in Orlando, Fla.