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WCAA NAMES NEW OFFICERS The Window Coverings Association of America (WCAA) has elected new officers during its summer board meeting. The officers are: president, Bruce Heyman, Fabricland Interiors; vice president, Larry Lariviere, Larry's Custom Interiors; treasurer, Beth Hodges, Beth Hodges Soft Furnishings. The WCAA was founded in 1987 and is the nation's leading organization representing window coverings designers, decorators, retailers and workrooms. Its goals are to make available educational and motivational opportunities, to work for the betterment of the interior fashions industry and to encourage a code of ethics for fair business practices. BOMAR NAMES NATAN CEO AND PRESIDENT Bomar Industries, Lake Worth, FL, has named Nimi Natan chief executive officer and president. He succeeds Rick Canavin. Prior to joining Bomar, Natan was a principal at Ardhiel, Inc., New York, NY. He also has been a director of Bomar, actively involved in setting strategy for the company. HUNTER DOUGLAS' HOPKINS ATTENDS HABITAT WEEKEND Marvin B. Hopkins, president and CEO of Hunter Douglas, Inc., was an honored guest at the 10th annual Jimmy Carter Weekend sponsored by Habitat for Humanity in Americus, GA. The annual event is held to honor Habitat for Humanity's special partners, and Hunter Douglas has been its national sponsor since 1993. Hopkins received an inside view of Habitat's staff and programs as well as met former President Carter. Saturday morning was spent working alongside Habitat homeowners building homes. That evening they visited homes of other Habitat homeowners in the neighborhood. Hunter Douglas has provided custom window coverings for the bedrooms and bathrooms of every Habitat house built in the United States and Canada. As the Habitat for Humanity mission has unfolded, the company as covered more than 50,000 windows in more than 8,000 homes. CONSO PROMOTES PEGRAM Conso Products Co., Union, SC, has promoted Jennifer Pegram to the position of marketing manager. She will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of marketing, including catalog production, trade shows, advertising and product development. A graduate of the University of South Carolina College of Business Management, Pegram has been with Conso for the past six years. CACO ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS, NEW TERRITORY MANAGERS Emily Garretson has been appointed manager of customer service at CACO, Inc., Johnson City, TN. Garretson will be responsible for overseeing all customer service personnel. Carolyn Estepp, who previously managed CACO's customer service department, has become the assistant to purchasing. Estepp will support the general manager in purchasing and contract quotes. CACO also has appointed George Kast, April O'Donnell and Vicki Pilgreen as territory managers. Kast in Charlotte, NC, is responsible for sales in North Carolina and South Carolina. O'Donnell in Nashville, TN, is responsible for Tennessee and Kentucky. Pilgreen in Birmingham, AL, centers on Alabama and Georgia.

HYDE HEADS FELTERS' HOME FASHIONS Cheryl Hyde has been named home fashions coordinator for The Felters Group, Roebuck, SC, a fully integrated converter and fabricator of non-woven industrial products. In this new position, Hyde will design and market new non-woven products to the home fashion industry. Before joining Felters Hyde spent more than 25 years in the window/bed covering, decorative/upholstery fabric and commercial/contract hospitality industries as the marketing and product development director for a leading wholesale fabricator of custom and contract blinds, shades, window and bed coverings. She is a motivational speaker and trainer for residential and commercial home products. The Felters Group is a 90-year-old leader in engineering industrial felt products. It designs and fabricates products for window and bed coverings, furniture, carpet, paint, wall coverings, lighting and home accessories. NGPP HONORS MEMBERS The National Guild of Professional Paperhangers (NGPP) recently held its annual convention and trade show in Philadelphia, PA. In addition to having a record number of attendees, the sold-out trade show also hosted the guild's honoring of several members for outstanding contributions to the organization and the community. The Sam Kovnat Award was presented to Paul and Joan Gartland of Peabody, MA. This award is for individuals who have displayed outstanding commitment to the guild and its code of ethics over a number of years and has set an example to which all paperhangers can aspire. The Gartlands have been at every convention with cameras in hand, and then edit and catalog all the videos for the guild's library. The Paperhanger of the Year Award recognizes a guild member's noteworthy contributions to the organization and the wall coverings industry as a whole. This year, Lillian Weist of Lillian's Interiors, Nashville, TN, won for traveling many miles for charity hangs, industry relations meetings and workshops. She is instrumental in the promotion of the guild. The Skip Lowe Memorial Award is present to an associate member who has made a significant contribution to the guild. This year, Gail Cox, American School of Paperhanging Arts, Commerce, GA, was honored for her dedication to the NGPP Web site, www.ngpp.org. The editor of the Northern California chapter newsletter, Lauretta Jenkins, was presented with a plaque for the Best Newsletter Award. The Connecticut chapter received the Golden Plumb Line Award for outstanding growth, retention, meeting participation, community service and overall contributions to the industry in a localized area. The Harold Laffer Award is presented to an individual most instrumental in establishing a new chapter. This year's two recipients are Bill Armstrong, Armstrong Wallcovering, Knoxville, TN, for the Eastern Tennessee chapter, and Gary Lucas, Gary Lucas Wallcoverings, Westerville, OH, for the establishment of the Pittsburgh, Canton-Akron and Western Lake Erie chapters. Glen E. Hall, Palm Desert, CA, accepted Coachella Valley's new charter as its the newest chapter. William L.R. Reimers, San Antonio, TX, was bestowed the distinguished Life Member status. The 2001 convention and trade show chair, Larry Duval, Atlanta, GA, received recognition for an outstanding convention.