By Reginald Tucker
The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) announced a new slate of officers and directors for 2021 during its recent virtual “Xperience” convention—the first digital event in its history.
Dunn Rasbury, immediate-past president, introduced Shane Richmond as the new NAFCD president for 2021. During his tenure at Fishman Flooring Solutions—a 100% employee-owned company that recently celebrated 100 years as a Baltimore-based business—Richmond held positions of increasing responsibility, eventually taking on the role of vice president.
Richmond said he looks forward to the challenge of leading the association in these uncertain times. “2020 has been a very unique time for flooring distributors and suppliers,” Richmond told attendees during the annual meeting at Xperience. “As your 2021 NAFCD president, I will dedicate my energies to working closely with the NAFCD board of directors and staff to continue to build on our impressive menu of resources and tools the association has provided members this past year. We will continue to generate new and exciting educational offerings, virtual networking opportunities, exclusive data and research to help us make better decisions and cost-saving programs to help our bottom lines.”
Richmond also took the opportunity to acknowledge his predecessor, Dunn Rasbury, during his presentation. “I want to recognize his dedication and hard work in keeping the association moving forward,” he said. “Dunn has helped our membership stay positive through challenging times.”
New blood
Other key officers serving a one-year term include: Kyle Gorny (Blakely Products), president-elect; A.J. Warne (Abraham Linc), vice president; Robert Marra (Abraham Linc), treasurer; and Rasbury (A&M Supply), immediate-past president.
Distributor directors serving a three-year term include: Brian Green (Haines); and Derek Brooks (Torlys). D.J. Lee (Professional Flooring Supply) will serve a one-year term as distributor director at large, while Michael Eckhart (Next Floor) will serve a three-year term as supplier director. Directors completing their terms this year include: Steve McKenna (McKenna Distribution); and Mark Johnson (Traxx Corporation).
“I congratulate these volunteers and thank them for their willingness to step up and offer their time and expertise for the good of the NAFCD and the industry,” Rasbury, outgoing NAFCD president, said. “I would also like to thank the 2020 board of directors who were the drivers behind many of our initiatives. These individuals made themselves available frequently throughout the year to help us make important decisions as we navigate through the impacts of COVID-19. They helped transform our annual convention to a virtual event.”
NAFCD also announced new members across three different categories. These are as follows:
Distributor members:
MSI, Orange County, Calif.
Southland Floors, Pompano Beach, Fla.
Virginia Tile Company, Livona, Mich.
Supplier members:
Barlinek USA
Decospan USA
Allied members:
Bain & Co.
ProKeep
Vogueboard, Inc.
2021 convention set for Dallas
Despite the success of the inaugural NAFCD virtual Xperience convention, NAFCD said it plans to hold an in-person event Nov. 2-4 in Dallas next year. “I’m hopeful we can reunite our members next year in a format that brings value while also keeping everyone safe,” Richmond said. “Our members are hungry to reconnect, and we look forward to making this happen.”