The Jewelers of America Board of Directors voted to rescind the membership bylaws change it passed in 2001. The board had originally voted to extend membership eligibility to department stores that agreed to comply with the JA Code of Ethics. Although no department store applied for membership, several JA jewelers raised concerns about the change.

Following those concerns, a special task force, and later the JA Executive Committee, reviewed the issue. The committee made a recommendation to the full board in January that the bylaws be restored to the previous version. The board voted to accept the committee’s proposal.

“The board changed the bylaws to help make everyone who sells jewelry responsible for their business practices, but ultimately it was also important to listen to the concerns of our members,” said JA Chairman Carolyn Pope. “JA will continue to look for other ways to raise the bar for professionalism, education, and service throughout the retail jewelry industry.”

JCK