Associations

THE PLUMB CLUB DESIGNS PAVILION FOR JCK ORLANDO

Continuing a tradition of pampering its customers, The Plumb Club, an association of 46 jewelry manufacturers, is creating a pavilion of member exhibitors for the JCK International Jewelry Show in Orlando, Fla., in February.

“The pavilion is designed to make buyers’ lives easier and to foster the relationship between buyers and our manufacturers,” says Susan Cullum, administrative director of The Plumb Club.

The 37,000-sq.-ft. pavilion will feature plush carpeting, fountains, flowers, plants and park benches. Buyers will be served at a complimentary cafe and can take advantage of an on-site business office with conference rooms for private appointments with Plumb Club manufacturers. All show attendees with buyers’ badges will be welcome to visit the pavilion and use the services.

The organization is spending $1 million for the design, construction, maintenance and storage of the pavilion by GES Exhibition Services of Las Vegas, Nev.

The Plumb Club, 157 Engle St., Englewood, NJ 07631; (201) 816-8881, fax (201) 816-8882.

ASA MEMBERS EAGER FOR ON-LINE COURSES

The opportunity to use new technology to save time and money on educational endeavors appeals to many members of the American Society of Appraisers, according to the results of a recent ASA survey.

Of the business and real property appraisers who answered the education survey, 81% indicated they would definitely or likely take courses and seminars offered on the World Wide Web. The majority also showed interest in other nontraditional educational opportunities such as videocassettes, correspondence courses and audio courses.

Ninety-eight percent of respondents use computers in their work, and 67% of these computer users have access to the World Wide Web.

The ASA Education Department plans to use the results to develop courses at optimal savings for members.

AGTA DIRECTOR RESIGNS FROM BOARD

Joseph Mardka of Colormasters Gem Corp. in New York City resigned from the American Gem Trade Association’s Board of Directors, on which he had served for three years. Mardka served on the Ethics and Grievance Committee and the Think Tank/Brainstorming Committee during his term.

The position will be filled by Maurice Shire of Maurice Shire Inc., New York City. Shire has served with AGTA for a decade, including a term as president. He also has served on the boards of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, Manufacturing Jewelers & Silversmiths of America, American Stone Importers Association and 24 Karat Club of New York City.

SNAG ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

The Society of North American Goldsmiths has chosen a new president-elect and named new board members.

Don Stuart, head of the Jewellery and Metals Program at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario, was named president-elect. Stuart has served as president of the Ontario Crafts Council and has earned numerous awards for his jewelry and hollowware. He is the recent recipient of the Georgian College Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.

New directors are Diane Falkenhagen and Jack da Silva. Falkenhagen is a professional metalsmith from Houston, Tex., and has taught for the Texas Designer/Craftsmen and the Galveston Art League. A teacher at the Revere Academy in San Francisco, Cal., da Silva owns and directs da Silva’s Metal Design Studio in San Francisco.

Tim McCreight, head of the metals and jewelry area at Portland College of Art in Portland, Maine, was elected to SNAG’s Nominations and Elections Committee. Doug Steakley of Concepts Gallery in Carmel, Cal., was elected to the Honorary Membership Selection Committee.

APPRAISAL SEMINAR TO GO BEYOND THE BOOKS

The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers will hold its 14th annual educational conference Jan. 30-31 in Tucson, Ariz.

A full-day seminar will address “Appraising for Insurance … Beyond the Books,” with appraiser and consultant William D. Hoefer Jr., and appraiser Ralph S. Joseph, author of The Jeweler’s Guide to Effective Insurance Appraising. The seminar will study proper take-in procedures, service contract considerations, the principle of indemnity, markets and research, legal considerations and the documentation of jewelry.

Other sessions during the two-day conference will look at Southwestern American Indian jewelry, signatures and trademarks, American silver flatware and the occurrence, crystal structure and cutting properties of diamonds, as well as some interesting diamond facts.

NAJA members took a vacation from their summer vacation to attend the summer educational conference inAugust in Orlando, Fla. About 40 members attended sessions on opal grading and appraising and how to establish, maintain and grow a gem and jewelry appraising business. National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, P.O. Box 6558, Annapolis, MD 21401-0558; (301) 261-8270.

GIFT ASSOCIATION NAMES NEW OFFICERS

The Gift Association of America elected a new president and board of directors at its annual membership cocktail reception in August in Bethlehem, Pa.

The new president is Al Andrea of Andrea’s Inc. in Kenosha, Wis. SErving with him are Peer Baekgaard of Baekgaard Ltd. in Northbrook, Ill., wholesaler vice president; Evelyn Craig of The Village Green Shop in Clarks Summit, Pa., retailer vice president; Constance Guerra of The Constance Collection in Midland, Va., secretary; George A. Pitsilos of TechImages Inc., Bethlehem, treasurer; and Robert Chiara, publisher emeritus of Gift Decorative Accessories magazine, New York, N.Y., vice president for special events.

Board members will serve three-year terms. Wholesaler representatives are Robert J. Ricciardi of Enesco Corp., Itasca, Ill.; Clyde Brownstone of Gift Box Corp. of America, New York, N.Y.; Rochelle Stern of Rite Lite Ltd., Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Barbara B. Baekgaard of Vera Bradley Designs, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Retailer representatives are Darcy Bannigan of Purple Shamrock, Springfield, Mo.; Gayle E. Daggett of Harpies’ Bazaar Inc., Mankato, Minn.; Sid Ginsberg of Toys for Men, New Hope, Pa.; Shirley Frazier of Sweet Survival, Paterson, N.J.; Marcia Klipsch of Douglass China, Madison, Wis.; Rebecca Schotthofer of The Hayloft Shop, Mossville, Ill.; Lawrence Taylor of Old Country Store, Jackson, Tenn.; and Donna Timmerman of First Impression Gifts, Central Islip, N.Y.

Past presidents include Michael L. Russo of Industry Advisors in Harleysville, Pa.; Howard Henschel of The Norman Group in Lawrenceville, N.J.; and Skip Ungrodt of Crown House of Gifts in Ann Arbor, Mich.

GAA also announced the addition of three new member services: a legal service providing a nationwide network of licensed attorneys, a major savings plan on long distance telephone calls and a credit service through Lyon, a credit company.

Gift Association of America, 612 W. Broad St., Bethlehem, PA 18018-5221; (610) 861-9445, fax (610) 861-0948.

CONFERENCE BOARD CHOOSES RESEARCH DIRECTOR

The Conference Board, an international business research and membership organization based in New York, N.Y., appointed Robert H. McGuckin as director of economic research. McGuckin has served for almost 10 years as chief of the Center for Economic Studies at the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

McGuckin will oversee international research projects concerning competitiveness and productivity and will develop new microeconomic programs focusing on business performance and practices. He also will direct several economic research programs, including the Consumer Research Center, the Leading Indicators Project, the Help-Wanted Advertising Index, the Business Confidence Index and regional economics research activities.

The Conference Board comprises more than 2,700 companies from 60 nations and strives to improve the business enterprise system and business’ contribution to society.

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