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MASSENA JOINS ITA Karen Massena has been appointed western regional sales manager of ITA, Inc., St. Augustine, FL, to cover a territory in which she has had extensive experience as a sales executive. Bringing 25 years of experience in the window fashions industry, Massena assumes primary responsibility for developing sales to window covering fabricators throughout the Western states, capitalizing on ITA's brand, innovative product lines and partnership philosophy. She will also seek to strengthen the market exposure of several ITA exclusive products. FSC'S FITZGERALD NAMED IGI PRESIDENT John A. Fitzgerald, president and general manager of FSC Wallcoverings, New York, NY, has been named president of the IGI at the group's 51st-annual Congress in Madrid, Spain, in June. IGI is the International Wall Covering Manufacturers Association's worldwide not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing the ability of wall covering industry members to solve their business problems by providing a forum for discussion, disseminating information and representing the industry before government and standards bodies. Fitzgerald will hold the term for one year and will be responsible for positioning wall coverings as the modern, innovative and prestigious product of choice in home and business decoration and helping the industry remain an innovative, dynamic, growing and synergistic decorative force.

NEW EXECUTIVE POSITIONS AT EASTMAN Eastman Machine Co., Buffalo, NY, has made recent executive management promotions within its organization. Marla Mellon has been promoted to vice president of sales. Previously the general sales manager, Mellon has been with Eastman for 14 years. She also serves as a trustee for NYS Metal Goods Trust and is on the board of Maria Love Convalescent Fund. Robert Skowronski has been appointed as Eastman's vice president of export business development in addition to his responsibilities as vice president of material operations. Skowronski will research and find new markets and additional distributors for Eastman's automated and manual line of equipment. Eastman has also hired Louis J. Martin as vice president of marketing and business development. Coming from nine years with Rigidized Metals Corp., Martin will oversee all marketing activities and be responsible for sales and business development with a focused effort in the growth of the agent and dealer network and new industries/markets of opportunity. MURASPEC APPOINTS PRESIDENT, CEO Muraspec N.A., Randolph, MA, appointed Gary T. Rizzo to be president and chief executive officer of the company. Rizzo joins Muraspec from JMLynne Co., where he had worked since 1997 as its executive vice president. There, he played a key role in the development of product and marketing strategies that resulted in market share growth and improved cash flow for the company's wall covering distribution business.