Following the recent announcement of its 2024 Board of Directors, NKBA also disclosed the members of its additional national volunteer committees – the Chapter Leadership Committee (CLC), Leadership Recruitment Committee (LRC) and KBIS Exhibitor Committee (KEC). Volunteer committee members each serve 3-year terms, with the terms commencing on January 1, 2024.

CLC Members Updates

The newest Chapter Leadership Committee members are Kimberly Kerl, Owner & Principal Designer, Kustom Home Design; and Brianna Weiler, Vice President | Interior Designer, Kitchens by Charles Weiler. They replace Ellen Lopez, CMKBD, Founder & Creative Director of El Design Studio; and Nancy Young, CKBD, Owner & President of Nancy Young Designs.

Continuing CLC members include Nichole Cooper, Showroom Director of Middleby Residential; Sandee Mann, Sales Executive of Kohler Canada;  and Julie Schuster, Principal of Julie Schuster Design Studio. 

The Chapter Leadership Committee provides a link between the grassroots of the Association, its chapters and National Staff. They are charged with monitoring member needs and requests at the chapter level and conveying these to National staff, while also being tasked with chapter engagement initiatives and other important activations. 

LRC Members Updates

The newest Leadership Recruitment Committee members are Dr. Elmar Stumpf, Owner, Conneum GmbH; and James Brodsky, CEO, Sharp Think. They replace Katie Brockman, Founder & CEO of Katie Brockman & Co.; and David Noe, General Manager of Rev-A-Shelf.

Continuing LRC members include Kevin Dexter, President Dealer at Springs Window Fashions, who was elected 2024 LRC Chair; Jason McGraw, Group VP of CEDIA Expo & KBIS, Emerald; and Basil Larkin, SVP of Sales at Hestan Commercial Corporation. 

The Leadership Recruitment Committee is charged with identifying and screening potential members for the Board of Directors (BOD) and the Chapter Leadership Committee (CLC). They meet after national elections to review all self-nominations received during the election cycle in September. 

KEC Members Updates

The newest member for the KBIS Exhibitor Committee is Nathan Boone, COO, Green Forest Cabinetry. Rolling off the KEC in 2023 was Heather Shannon, Director of Brand Marketing at Perlick and Jason Thompson, Director of Sales at WPPO Wood Fired Ovens. 

Continuing KEC members include Katie Heany, Owner of Kitchen Branding Gifts, who was elected 2024 KEC Chair; Abigail Toal, Event Coordinator at Federal Brace; Amy Switzer, Senior Marketing Communications Manager at Emtek; Jonathan Krieger, VP of Sales & Marketing at Fabuwood Cabinetry; Massimo Ballucchi, VP Kitchen & Bath Business at Cosentino North America, and Jason Fisher, Senior Director of Global Integrated Marketing at Moen & House of Rohl.

The KBIS Exhibitor Committee provides a link between the exhibitors and attendees of KBIS, and National Staff, to ensure that their needs are being appropriately monitored and evaluated. They also advise National Staff on industry trends and make recommendations for appropriate products, programs, and services to meet the needs of the exhibitors and attendees at future KBIS’s. 

NKBA again thanks Ellen Lopez, CMKBD, Nancy Young, CKBD, Katie Brockman, David Noe, Heather Shannon, and Jason Thompson for their dedication and commitment to these important committees over the last several years!

Below is a complete list of NKBA’s three national volunteer committees for 2024.

2024 Chapter Leadership Committee

Nichole Cooper
Showroom Director
Middleby Residential
Irvine, CA

Sandee Mann
Sales Executive – Western Canada Showroom
Kohler Canada
Woodbridge, ON, Canada

Julie Schuster
Principal
Julie Schuster Design Studio
New York, NY

Kimberly Kerl
Owner & Principal Designer
Kustom Home Design
Greenville, SC

Brianna Weiler
Vice President | Interior Designer 
Kitchens by Charles Weiler
Lahaska, PA

2024 Leadership Recruitment Committee

Kevin Dexter, 2024 Chair
President Dealer
Springs Window Fashions                                          
Middleton, WI

Jason McGraw, CTS, CAE
Group Vice President
CEDIA Expo and Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS)
Atlanta, GA

Basil Larkin
Senior VP of Sales
Hestan Commercial Corporation
Anaheim, CA

James Brodsky
CEO
Sharp Think
New York, NY

Dr. Elmar Stumpf
Owner
Conneum GmbH
Oberkirch, Germany

Bill Darcy, Ex-Officio
Global President & Chief Executive Officer
National Kitchen & Bath Association
Bethlehem, PA

2024 KBIS Exhibitor Committee

Katie Heany, 2024 Chair 
Owner
Kitchen Branding Gifts
St. Louis, MO

Massimo Ballucchi
VP of Kitchen & Bath Business
Cosentino North America
Miami, FL 

Jonathan Krieger
VP of Sales & Marketing
Fabuwood Cabinetry
Newark, NJ

Amy Switzer
Senior Marketing Communications Manager
Emtek
Irwindale, CA

Abigail Toal
Event Coordinator
Federal Brace
Belmont, NC 

Jason Fisher
Sr. Director of Global Integrated Marketing
Moen & House of Rohl
Olmsted, OH 

Nathan Boone
COO
Green Forest Cabinetry
Chesapeake, VA

A Furry Good Time at “Dogs & Design” 

We love it when NKBA members let their creativity shine by dreaming up amazing events, and this was certainly the case with “Dogs & Design” hosted by our Texas North Plains Chapter.   

“I’m a huge dog lover,” said Programs Chair Nicole Raynes, “And there are so many people in our chapter who love dogs, have dogs, or have done designs for dogs. It’s a fun niche in our community–designing for dogs.”

The elements for the event quickly crystallized in Nicole’s mind. Choosing Daltile Dallas as the venue was easy, as tile is a #1 material sourced when designing for dogs, and their showroom is also close to the Dallas Animal Services Shelter–which shared insights about the shelter and ways to help in addition to contributing to the event’s DAS Shelter donation drive.

For the featured experts, Jenifer Wiley, owner of J Wiley Designs, was a natural–she has designed several projects for dogs, including showers, built-in dog bowls and crates, and a sofa with a scooped out back so a client’s pooch could comfortably peer out the window without damaging the piece.

Adding to the guest panel were dog-friendly designers Dana Bass, owner of Dana Bass Designs, and Heidi Arwine, owner of Heidi Arwine Interiors, and dog trainer Taylor Massey, owner of Six Packs & Dog Packs Training, who shared practical dog psychology designers can use when they visit clients’ homes.

The event brought in 50 attendees (all human) and included complimentary custom pet doodles by Dallas-based sketch artist Groovy Zuky. To make the logistics easier, everyone who RSVP’d for the event could email a photo of their pet ahead of time and pick up their artwork the day of the event. It worked out beautifully, as Groovy Zuky received 15 additional requests during the event itself. 

This being Texas, guests nibbled on Mexican food and also had the opportunity to build mini animal figurines with Lego-style bricks.

A Ted Lasso-Inspired Summer Social As International As It Gets

With Houston playing host to the World Cup, Lisa Slappey had a cheeky idea.

The Silver Sponsor and former secretary of the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter envisioned a summer social where people could cheer and chill … and that’s how the idea for a Ted Lasso-inspired watch party was born.

“Houston is an extremely diverse city. We have people here from all over the world, and there has been tremendous excitement for the World Cup,” said Lisa, who with business partner Mehdi Abedi owns Pride of Persia Rug Co. & Postmodern Traditions, where the watch party was held on June 23rd. “We wanted to have a low-stress summer gathering to connect local industry peers, and we wanted to encourage people who didn’t know much about soccer to come watch, hence the Ted Lasso theme.”

For those not familiar with the popular comedy series by the same name, Lasso was an American football coach hired to coach an English football team. True to the show, the event featured “Biscuits With the Boss” (shortbread cookies), and a “Believe” sign amidst decorations of soccer balls and international flags. Guests were encouraged to wear team colors. Around 50 people showed up, including many new faces. Team jerseys abounded, and one guest even made a referee costume.

A new TV and a wall projector were used to broadcast the England v Ghana and Panama v Croatia matches. Dinner included Persian specialities made by Mehdi Abedi.

You might be wondering: just how did a Persian rug company get into NKBA? 

“We had some wonderful NKBA leaders in the community who kept inviting me to events,” recalled Lisa. “I put a lot of rugs in kitchens and baths, and it occurred to me that I should know what designers are doing in kitchens and baths! A whole new aspect of design opened up to me when I joined NKBA, and I have been an advocate since–especially for our student members.”

K&B Subject Matter Expert Corey Klassen, RID, NCIDQ, CMKBD, reveals the evolution behind an industry standard.

By NKBA Staff

The NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines have been the industry’s gold standard for years, serving as an essential reference for design professionals. Published since 1992, it is the most complete collection of illustrations and planning recommendations available in one source, covering the planning and installation of beautiful, efficient, code-compliant kitchens and baths and other interior spaces.

As the industry evolves, the Planning Guidelines must be adapted to changing codes and regulations, technology and material advancements, and design and building trends. This is a painstaking, highly detailed process.

Enter Subject Matter Expert Corey Klassen, RID, NCIDQ, CMKBD, an award-winning interior designer and owner of Articulated Design Studio (founded as Corey Klassen Interior Design in 2011) in Vancouver, British Columbia. Klassen has been a leading expert of the Planning Guidelines revisions for the last two editions, including the most recent fifth edition, with the collaboration of other SMEs and key stakeholders, including educators, practitioners, and accessibility advocates.

The transition from the third edition to the fourth was “a monumental lift,” and the new fifth edition has even more refinement, said Klassen, who traveled from Vancouver to the U.S. to take the NKBA certification exams – AKBD, CKD, and CBD. “Our overall objective was to increase comprehension through clarity and consolidation, and that meant paying very close attention to our word choices and layout so that the Planning Guidelines can be more universally understood.”

Klassen revealed that some key updates and revisions to the fifth edition included further defining the best practices for accessibility in “Chapter 1: Human Factors and Accessibility,” expanding storage systems and finishes in “Chapter 6: Interior Environment Planning,” and extensive clarity on ventilation, power, lighting, and illumination planning in “Chapter 7: Building Systems Planning.”

“A new comprehension tool we introduced was the use of notes after each guideline, where we were able to capture additional context, related factors and considerations, and additional short-form context.”

Klassen said their top challenge was to bring parity across international borders. “I often remark to my U.S. colleagues that while we may speak and read similar English, that closeness can still have great diversity and nuance in building codes. I think we all understand that model codes, such as the International Residential Code, change every four years, but a key driver was a lesser-known compliance publication in Canada called CSA/ASC B652 Accessible Dwellings (2023). What was remarkable to all the subject matter experts, including myself, was how much further along this technical publication was in accessibility, and we embraced it through many lively discussions, researching and sourcing supporting reference materials, and with conversations in each of our communities.”

Inclusivity is central to Klassen’s overall design approach and played a significant role in revising the fifth edition of the guidelines.

“Terms such as ‘design from the margins’ and ‘nothing for them without them’ are fundamentals that help define how empathy is applied in my daily routine,” Klassen said, adding that it was important for individuals to be able to synthesize the Planning Guidelines. “Some of the deeper challenges that we are all facing are constant cognitive overload, common language evolution, and the rate and speed at which artificial intelligence and technology are influencing us. For me, this meant that regardless of which nationality, race, physical ability, disability, or language that characterizes the reader, that the Planning Guidelines can be understood. Facts provide clarity. I think this is what my husband and I endeavor to embody in our interior design firm.”

Klassen concluded, “I have been afforded so many professional opportunities to expand my skills, knowledge, and professionalism through my membership with the NKBA. It has been a tremendous honour — I’m Canadian, it’s how we spell it — to work on, collaborate with, research, synthesize, write (and rewrite) the Planning Guidelines into this new experience for Certified Kitchen & Bath Designers, Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designers, and allied design professionals across many industry sectors.

“We owe a tremendous thank you to Doug Walter, CMKBD; Robin Rigby-Fisher, CMKBD; Judith A. Neary, CMKBD; and Cailin Thelen, CMKBD, as the subject matter experts for their contributions to the 5th edition, as well as Adrean Stephenson, CKBD of Chief Architect, Inc., who served as the primary illustrator of figures in the publication. For those considering NBKA Certifications, it will be a journey that might need reframing at times, but it’s important that we look at our learning CEU’s not just as requirements, but opportunities to study areas we wouldn’t typically practice.”

Learn more about the NKBA Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines here.

Members Grow Their Gardens and Their Skills at Sustainability Event

The Eastern Carolinas Chapter held a special event exploring how sustainable practices reduce energy, water, and material waste.

The event was held at R. Jacobs Fine Plumbing & Hardware in Raleigh and featured a fun plant swap, along with a presentation by Eric Harvell, Senior District Sales Manager for TOTO USA. Eric discussed how global megatrends affect design strategies as well as how to design smarter using EPDs, HPDs, and Declare Labels for specifying products.

We truly appreciate the Eastern Carolinas’ efforts in planning another creative event!