Gen-Next Jewelers rewrote its mission statement and named new board members to compliment its 2012 goal of “Moving Jewelry Forward.”

The organization added Jennifer Apfelbaum of Marco Bicego and John Tierney of JCK Events to its board. Lisa Nikfarjam of Lisa Nik has also been named moderator.

“Gen-Next Jewelers strives to create a proactive community of open-minded jewelry professionals dedicated to fostering new talent, new ideas and new relationships while honoring the heritage of our industry,” said the new mission statement.

The group plans to follow through with its mission during events at Baselworld and Las Vegas as well as an educational track at the JCK show during Jewelry Market Week.

“With the new mission statement, and our new educational and networking initiatives, there is increased enthusiasm among the executive board,” Lisa Nikfarjam, moderator of GNJ, said in a statement. “We continue to believe that Gen-Next can play a significant role in our industry and we look forward to hearing feedback from anyone who participates in our events so that we can continue to evolve and grow.”

JCK