Withit Initiates Ambassador Club

Furniture World Magazine

WithIt has inducted 18 individuals into a newly formed Ambassador Club, comprised of men and women who have advanced WithIt as a pathway to business excellence by recruiting new members to the organization. Membership in the Ambassador's Club is by special invitation of the WithIt president. WithIt's outgoing 2004 president, Jackie Hirschhaut of the AFMA, inducted charter members into the Ambassadors Club at the WithIt Educational breakfast during October's High Point International Home Furnishings Market last week. "People don't make change, networks do," said Hirschhaut. "These outstanding individuals have acted, both with us and for us, to help bring people together in WithIt so that we may continue to offer opportunities for all and to build bridges that make change happen for the benefit of our shared industries." Charter members include Lifetime Ambassadors, both male associates and female members, who have individually recruited more than 15 new members to WithIt over a period of time, and 12-Month Ambassadors, who have recruited more than five new members to WithIt within one year. Among the first to be inducted into the prestigious group were the founding members of WithIt: Jena Hall of Jena Hall Designs, Peggy Traub of Adesso and Kimberley Wray of Connie Post Companies. Other newly inducted Lifetime Ambassadors include: Kathy Bovey of AmericasMart; Joe Carroll of Furniture Today; Jeff Cook of Magnussen Home; Elaine Sollar Eisen of PD Designs; Ellen Gefen of Gefen Productions; Judy George of Domain; Karen McNeill Harris of McNeill Communications Group; Caroline Hipple of Storehouse; Jackie Hirschhaut of AFMA; Stephanie Lowder of Graphic Solutions; Bob Maricich of Century Furniture, Edward Massood of MGM Transport Company; Connie Post of Connie Post Companies; and Fred Starr of Natuzzi. Also inducted as a 2004 12-Month Ambassador was Deborah Klein of Vanguard Furniture. WithIt (Women in the Home Industries Today, www.withit.org) was established in 1997 to encourage and develop leadership, mentoring, education and opportunity for professional women in the home furnishings industry. The not-for-profit organization maintains national headquarters in High Point, along with regional chapters in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Florida, New York, San Francisco and Virginia/Carolinas. Individuals may become members of WithIt by visiting www.withit.org or contacting Sara Lyke, Executive Director, at 336/880-2188. Upon joining, new members may mention that individual who invited them to the organization, thus making it possible to recognize potential members of the Ambassador Club.