July 2025
Chapter Officer Update
Thank you to our Partners:

“We’re in the home stretch for Chapter Officer self-nominations! Please encourage your members to submit self-nomination forms for 2026 NKBA Chapter President, Programs Chair, and Communications Chair by July 31 at 5 PM EST. “
Important Dates
July 8 – Presidents monthly call – 4 PM EST
July 10 – VFTI speakers – extended deadline
July 15 – Programs Chair monthly call – 3 PM EST
July 15 – Communications Chair monthly call – 4 PM EST
July 16 – Membership Chair monthly call – 3 PM EST
July 16 – Secretary/Treasurer monthly call – 4 PM EST
July 25 – NKBA | KBIS Design Competition deadline
July 31 – Chapter Officers Self-Nominations deadline 5 PM EST
Chapters
NKBA’s Chapters Team is here for you – reach out to us via email or call 610-988-6035.
Kelly Buchsbaum, Director, Chapters & Learning
Kristin Shechter, Chapter Engagement Manager
Melissa Flynn, Chapters & Skilled Trades Manager
Elizabeth Mace, Chapter Engagement Specialist
General info, meeting notices, and roster requests:
Research
Make your voices heard – and help us tell the K&B industry’s story. In today’s uncertain economy, your insights are more essential than ever. The Q2 2025 NKBA/John Burns Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI) survey is now open—and your perspective can help capture a true snapshot of current market conditions.
Please check your inbox for your personal invitation to participate; emails were sent earlier this week.
By completing the survey, you will:
- Be entered to win one of three $250 gift cards
- Receive the full Q2 2025 KBMI Report
- Contribute to research that supports the entire kitchen & bath community
Your input sheds light on the challenges, opportunities, and trends professionals are facing across the industry. The more responses we receive, the stronger and more actionable the insights become.
Check your email and take the survey today—your voice truly matters.
If you are not yet a member of the Kitchen & Bath Pro Hub, you should be! Connect with peers, access exclusive research, and earn rewards — all for free! Register now.
Marketing
Voices from the Industry (VFTI) on-demand sessions are available online. Click here to view, and remember to sign in with the same email address as your KBIS registration. Please share the news with your general membership: VFTI 2025 On-Demand sessions are now half-price with our half-year special – $175 now through December 31.
Share your expertise with industry professionals and submit to present an NKBA | KBIS webinar! Webinar submissions are due Monday, September 29: https://nkba.org/webinar-submissions/
NKBA presents the following six Design + Business webinars in July with registration links below. Webinars begin at 12 PM ET with 0.1 CEU per webinar.
July 8 | The Evolving Home July 15 | Aging in Place July 16 | Designing for a Barrier-Free Future July 22 | Client Engagement Excellence July 29 | Designing K&B for Active Aging July 30 | Keeping a House Looking Like a Home |
Students & Educators
Thank You to Our Student Membership and Student Chapters Sponsor
NKBA proudly recognizes Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove for their generous support of both our student membership program and student chapters on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Their continued investment plays a vital role in empowering the next generation of kitchen and bath professionals.
By championing education and engagement at the student level, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove are helping shape the future of our industry—one emerging leader at a time.
We’re grateful for their partnership and shared commitment to professional growth, innovation, and community.
Education Appreciation Week | September 21–26, 2025
Join NKBA as we celebrate the kitchen and bath educational community during Education Appreciation Week, taking place September 21–26, 2025. Throughout the week, we’ll spotlight inspiring programs, meaningful initiatives, and valuable content that support the next generation of K&B professionals.
This is also the perfect time for NKBA chapters to connect with local schools and educators who are shaping future industry leaders.
Education Appreciation Week will culminate in the NKBA Student Design Symposium, a dynamic virtual conference featuring keynote speaker and KBB Person of the Year, Alena Capra, CMKBD.
Registration details coming soon—stay tuned!
Government Relations
As the leading trade and professional organization in the kitchen and bath industry, NKBA is committed to educating its membership on public policy issues that affect our professional community and protecting members’ rights to practice their profession. As part of this commitment, NKBA monitors relevant legislative and regulatory developments at the state and federal levels and, where appropriate, provides information to members concerning material issues and developments. Most of these updates are sent directly to members each month via the Government Relations Newsletter. A repository of newsletters, as well as additional resources to self-advocate on issues important to you, can be found on the Government Relations webpage on NKBA.org.
We hope you benefit from the value these resources bring to you, your profession, and the kitchen & bath industry. Please reach out directly to Steven Campeau, NKBA’s Senior Manager, Global & Government Relations at scampeau@nkba.org, for any specific questions.
Professional Development
Gain CEU credits in July via NKBA’s Design + Business webinars on nkba.org.
CONGRATULATIONS to our newest NKBA Certified and Specialty Badge earners and your Chapters!
CKBD / CMKBD
Butterfly Yao, CMKBD is our newest Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer. Butterfly is a member of NKBA Ontario/Canada chapter. Congratulations to Butterfly!
SPECIALTY BADGES
Carol Peterson, Arizona Designs Kitchens & Bath, Appliance, Arizona South
Melinda White, Restorations Unlimited, Cabinetry, Maine
Kayden Smith, Sales & Marketing, Prairie Provinces
Dusti Dunn, Dee David & Co LLC, Universal Design, Virginia State
Colleen Primm, Colleen Primm Design, Cabinetry, Ohio State Chapter Officer (CO)
Ryan Shafer, Fairfield Custom Kitchens LLC, Cabinetry, Pittsburgh Tri-State
Elizabeth Mace, NKBA, Sustainability, Susquehanna Valley
Lauren Mills, Sea Pointe Kitchens, Remodeling, Southern California
Melinda White, Restorations Unlimited of Maine, Floor Plans & Specifications, Maine
Laura Duddy, Hantel Kitchens & Bath, Cabinetry, Tennessee CO
Elizabeth Haas, Functional Living Design Group LLC, Remodeling, Central Ohio
Connor Ball, Allen Community College, Cabinetry, Nebraska/Kansas
Liz Kennedy, ELM Construction LLC, Remodeling, Alabama CO
Marti Jo Stanley, Home Depot, Sales & Marketing, Texas North Plains
Mike Thompson, K2 Prairie Builders, Remodeling, Prairie Provinces
Gabriella Silva, UMI – Jacksonville, Sales & Marketing, North Florida CO
Sammie Leeann Beaver, Sammie L Real Estate, Remodeling, LA/MS/AR
Britney Powell, Functional Living Design Group LLC, Universal, Central Ohio
Maissa Arruda, WISA Solutions, LLC, Cabinetry, Baltimore/Washington
Lisa Lowery, Lisa Lowery, Cabinetry, Arizona
Nicole Guilbert, Tidepool Design Studio, Universal, Northern California
Pam Berrigan, Home Depot, Lighting, Northern New England
Lindsay Dayton, Daytona State College, Cabinetry, North Florida
Brian Denney, Denney Homes, Sales & Marketing Universal Design, Cabinetry, Remodeling, San Joaquin Valley
Member
Relations
Frequently Asked Questions and Member Videos for those most asked questions.
New Members are vital to the success of NKBA and our Chapters. Please send prospective members to membership@nkba.org and we will send detailed information on member benefits, membership cost, certification, badges and more.
Please reach out to Gerri Klein (gklein@nkba.org) with any NKBA membership structure questions.
NKBA Membership Signup. Please share this link. If anyone needs a hard copy of the application, please email info@nkba.org. There is an updated 2025 membership application with new rates.
Please encourage your members to communicate any changes directly to info@nkba.org and the team will be happy to help!
NKBA’s Member Relations team is always available to assist our Members and Chapters. Contact Gerri Klein, Sr Manager, Member Relations at 610-988-6030 or email info@nkba.org. Also part of the Member Relations team is Aislinn Galvin-Keil who looks forward to working with our Chapters!

NKBA Chapter Relations Department Contact List
1-800-843-6522
Chapters@nkba.org
(Chapter Officer Inquiries on Responsibilities)
info@nkba.org
(Membership Inquiries)
Kelly Buchsbaum, 201-972-0182
Director, Chapters & Learning – kbuchsbaum@nkba.org
Kristin Shechter, 610-988-6035
Chapter Engagement Manager – kshechter@nkba.org
Elizabeth Mace, 610-988-6029
Chapter Engagement Specialist – emace@nkba.org
Gerri Klein, 610-871-8181 x104
Sr. Mgr Member Relations and Chapters – gklein@nkba.org
Chapter Leadership Committee – Click Here. Also located on the Resources page of the website.
Did you miss the previous issue of the Chapter Officer Update, or do you have suggestions for future issues? If so, email chapters@nkba.org .