Following the recent announcement of its 2025 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, 2025.

CLC Member Updates

The newest Chapter Leadership Committee members are Sadie Anderson, Vice President of Marketing & Design, CKF; and Rima Nasr, Interior Designer, RDesign Studio. They replace Nichole Cooper, Showroom Director of Middleby Residential; and Sandee Mann, Sales Executive of Kohler Canada.

Continuing CLC members include Kimberly Kerl, Owner & Principal Designer, Kustom Home Design;  Julie Schuster, Principal of Julie Schuster Design Studio; and Brianna Weiler, Vice President | Interior Designer, Kitchens by Charles Weiler. 

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 Member Updates

The newest Leadership Recruitment Committee members are Kristen Elder, Vice President- Showrooms, Residential Builder & Digital Commerce, Ferguson Enterprises and Veronika Miller, CEO, M2 Consulting Group. They replace Kevin Dexter, EVP and President, Spring Window Fashions, Montgomery, PA; and Jason McGraw, Group Vice President – CEDIA Expo/KBIS, Emerald, Alpharetta, GA.

Continuing LRC members include; James Brodsky, CEO, Sharp Think, New York, NY; Basil Larkin, NKBA Chair 2022, who was elected 2025 LRC chair, and Dr. Elmar Stumpf, Owner, Conneum GmbH, Germany.

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 Member Updates

The newest members for the KBIS Exhibitor Committee are Christina Reed, Director – Brand Experience, GE Appliances a Haier Company; and Andrew Shead, Sales and Marketing Manager, True Residential.  

Continuing KEC members include Amy Switzer, Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Emtek, who was elected 2025 Chair; Nathan Boone, COO, Green Forest Cabinetry; Massimo Ballucchi, Vice President of Institutional Relations at Cosentino North America; Jason Fisher, Senior Director of Global Integrated Marketing at Moen & House of Rohl; Katie Heaney, Owner of Kitchen Branding Gifts, and Jonathan Krieger, EVP at Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry.

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 Nichole Cooper, Sandee Mann, Kevin Dexter, and Jason McGraw, 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 2025.

2025 Chapter Leadership Committee

Sadie Anderson
Vice President of Marketing and Design
CKF
Omaha, NE

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

Rima Nasr
Interior Designer
RDesign Studio
Richmond, TX

Julie Schuster
Principal
Julie Schuster Design Studio
New York, NY

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

2025 Leadership Recruitment Committee

Basil Larkin, 2025 Chair
Redondo Beach, CA

James Brodsky
CEO
Sharp Think
New York, NY

Kristen Elder
Vice President – Showrooms, Residential Builder & Digital Commerce
Ferguson Enterprises
Newport News, VA

Veronika Miller
CEO
M2 Consulting Group
York, PA

Dr. Elmar Stumpf
Owner
Conneum GmbH
Oberkirch, Germany

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

2025 KBIS Exhibitor Committee

Amy Switzer, 2025 Chair
Senior Brand Marketing Manager
Emtek
Irwindale, CA

Massimo Ballucchi
VP of Institutional Relations
Cosentino North America
Miami, FL 

Nathan Boone
COO
Green Forest Cabinetry
Chesapeake, VA

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

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

Jonathan Krieger
EVP
Plain and Fancy Custom Cabinetry
Schaefferstown, PA

Christina Reed
Director – Brand Experience
GE Appliances a Haier Company
Wellington, FL

Andrew Shead
Marketing and Sales Manager
True Residential
O’Fallon, MO

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

The NKBA Global Connect program serves as a strategic bridge for international brands looking to connect with industry professionals in the North American marketplace. By providing a blend of market intelligence, brand positioning, and community access, the program equips global companies with the tools necessary to thrive in the competitive $228 billion North American kitchen and bath industry.

As Christian Käsemann, Head of Export at Global Connect member Ballerina-Küchen, notes: “Only as an NKBA member can you get access to so much valuable information… in the end, it is the people who make the NKBA Global Connect program a home for international brands.”

Mission and Vision

The program is driven by a clear mandate to connect and grow the industry on a worldwide scale.

• Mission: To connect and grow the kitchen and bath industry globally through an international membership program.
• Vision: As stated by Bill Darcy, Global President & CEO of NKBA | KBIS, the program “forges business connections that drive and engage the kitchen and bath industry around the globe, informing, inspiring, and empowering the industry worldwide.”

Membership and Program Tiers

The 2026 International Business Membership is designed specifically for brands new to the North American market (or those with less than $10M in annual North American revenue).

The International Business Membership is a basic NKBA membership designed for new-to-market brands and costs $3,750.

The Advisor Access Add-On includes approximately 20 hours of consultation with vetted industry experts, representing a $5,000 value, and is available to Global Connect members for an additional $2,500.

The Enhanced Marketing Package offers members elevated digital brand awareness at a nearly 20 percent discount and costs $4,500.

The All-Access Bundle combines Advisor Access and Enhanced Marketing at a 7 percent discount for a total cost of $6,500.

Exclusive Benefits and Resources

Global Connect members receive a comprehensive suite of benefits tailored to reduce risk and increase visibility:

• Proprietary Market Research: Full access to reports (a $20,000+ value) covering 2026 Kitchen and Bath Trends, Sustainability, Lighting Design, bi-annual  Market Outlooks and quarterly Kitchen & Bath Market Index updates
• Marketing & Visibility: Opportunities for a unique NKBA.org blog post, a profile page on NKBA.org, and inclusion in the Quarterly Roundup Article distributed to international press.
• Education & Support: Access to the Online Resource Library, the NKBA Job Board, and opportunities to create CEU (Continuing Education Unit) programs for North American designers.
• KBIS Advantages: Members receive discounts for the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), the largest trade show of its kind in North America, featuring over 650 exhibitors and 500,000 square feet of space.

The Global Connect Advisor Network

A cornerstone of the program is access to a vetted group of independent industry experts. These advisors provide consultation on topics vital to North American success, such as sales force development, distribution channels, and code compliance. Featured advisors include:

• Jeanne Chung (Cozy Stylish Chic)
• Greg Rohl (The Rohl Model)
• Bill Morely (HillStaffer)
• John Watson (IAPMO Group)
• Andrew Savant (Pinnacle Sales)
• And many others specializing in logistics, training, compliance, and design.

A Global Footprint: 2026 and Beyond

The NKBA Global Connect network currently includes members and Strategic Alliance Partners from countries including Germany, Italy, Brazil, China, Turkey, and the UK, among others.

The 2026 Calendar highlights the program’s international presence, with NKBA participating in or tracking major global events including KBIS 2026 (Orlando), Maison et Objet (Paris), Salone Del Mobile (Milan), and Unicera (Türkiye).

The Team Behind Global Connect

The program is led by a dedicated team of industry professionals: Noëlle C. Lavery, Director of Global Connect; Steven Campeau, Senior Manager of Global & Government Relations; Kevin Shea, Sales Specialist for Global Accounts; and Geraldine Morrison, Chief Partnerships Officer for Domestic & Global Brands.

Together, they provide the strategic direction and hands-on support that make Global Connect a trusted gateway for international expansion.

Begin Your North American Growth Journey

For global brands ready to enter or strengthen their presence in the North American kitchen and bath market, NKBA Global Connect offers the expertise, insights, and connections needed for long-term success. To learn more about becoming a Global Connect member and gaining access to NKBA’s advisor network and market intelligence, contact Kevin Shea at kshea@nkba.org or visit nkba.org/globalconnect.

By Dianne M. Pogoda

Company News

Kohler Adds to McGee Line: Kohler Co. is introducing a new sink to its exclusive Kohler x Studio McGee collection, a collaboration with acclaimed interior designer Shea McGee. The Audrine kitchen sink, which will be available in February, is a farmhouse-style apron workstation sink with an integrated ledge system and premium powder-coated accessories that match the color of the sink. It is designed for easy access, freeing counter space and streamlining daily tasks, from food prep to cleanup. Kohler has more.

UMI Opens in Florida: UMI Stone has shored up its Florida presence with a 20,000 square-foot showroom in Sarasota, strengthening its coverage of the Gulf Coast between its Tampa and Naples locations. The Sarasota facility features a curated indoor slab gallery showcasing natural stone, Pompeii Quartz, Infinity porcelain slabs, and specialty surfacing materials. KBB has more detail.

Precision Stone Unveils Chicago-Area Experience Center: Precision Stone Design has opened a 20,000 square-foot Experience Center at 1000 N. Nicholas Boulevard in Elk Grove Village, IL, just outside Chicago. The new location complements the company’s existing 20,000 square-foot workshop and warehouse nearby, forming a hub for luxury stone fabrication and sourcing. The Experience Center enhances the company’s full-service approach to stone selection, customized fabrication, and installation. Read more at KBB..

Chapter Updates

A Day in the Life in Toronto: The Ontario/Canada Chapter is hosting its annual event at the Interior Design Show Toronto 2026 on Jan. 22, 1 to 2 pm, at the IDS Toronto – Metro Toronto Convention Centre North Building, 255 Front St W, in Toronto. Designers Jackie Glass, Carly Nemtean, and Laura Thornton will join a panel moderated by Zoltan Kevsehi for a lively discussion exploring what a real workday looks like in an AI-enabled design studio. They’ll cover choosing AI tools that deliver real ROI, building AI into everyday design and business processes, improving consultations and the client experience, and more. Learn more and register here.

Lunch & Learn in SoCal: The Southern California Chapter is hosting a Lunch & Learn event with SKS appliances and designer Joseph DeCasperis on Jan. 28, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, at Universal Appliances Mission Viejo, 25552 El Paseo in Mission Viejo, CA. DeCasperis is a member of the Thirty Under 30 Class of 2020 and served as president of the SoCal chapter from 2022 through 2024. In this CEU session, he will discuss induction cooking, how it works, why it outperforms gas, and key design considerations to help designers specify induction with confidence. The cost is $25 for NKBA members and $35 for non-members. More info here.

“Super Orgs” Social in Minnesota: The Minnesota State Chapter is partnering with NARI Minnesota, ASID Minnesota, and the Contractors Association of Minnesota for a collaborative event to bring together pros from across the design and remodeling industries It’s a free event on Feb. 24, 5 to 8 pm, at Utepils Brewing, 225 Thomas Ave N, #700, in Minneapolis. Mix, mingle, and make connections at one of the city’s favorite breweries. More info here.

Industry News

Harvard Says Immigrant Labor Is Critical: A study from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies finds that immigrants play an outsized role in the construction workforce in metro areas with the highest levels of homebuilding and remodeling. Foreign-born workers make up about 20 percent of overall American workers, but they account for about one-third of the workforce in the construction trades. And in high-permit regions, foreign-born craftspeople account for 54 percent of the skilled-trades workforce. ProRemodeler has more detail.

Housing Slipped in October: Residential housing permits, starts, completions, and sales all slipped in the month of October, the latest report available from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Permits for private housing starts dipped 0.2 percent from September and 1.1 percent from October 2024, with single-family permits off 0.5 percent on a monthly basis. Starts fell 4.6 percent from September and 7.8 percent YOY. Private housing completions were up 1.1 percent monthly but fell 15.3 percent YOY. On the upside, single-family starts rose 5.4 percent from September, and single-family completions were up 6 percent from September. Additionally, sales of new single-family homes dipped 0.1 percent from September, but were 18.7 percent above October 2024.  More detail here.