December 2025
Chapter Officer Update
Thank you to our Partners:
“Happy December! Celebrating each one of you during this special time of year. Thank you for the gifts of your time and talents!“
Important Dates
December 9 – Presidents monthly call – 4 PM EST
December 16 – Programs Chair monthly call – 3 PM EST
December 16 – Communications Chair monthly call – 4 PM EST
December 17– Membership Chair monthly call – 3 PM EST
December 17 – Secretary/Treasurer monthly call – 4 PM EST
December 22-January 1 – NKBA Offices Closed
Chapters
NKBA’s Chapters Team is here for you – reach out to us via email or call 610-988-6035.
Kelly Buchsbaum, Director, Chapters & Professional Development
Kristin Shechter, Chapters Engagement Manager
Melissa Flynn, Chapters & Skilled Trades Manager
Elizabeth Mace, Chapters & Professional Development Project Manager
General info, meeting notices, and roster requests:
Marketing
NKBA presents the following December Webinars with a focus on Wellness, Biophilia, and Business. Registration links below. Webinars begin at 12:00 PM ET with 0.1 CEU per webinar.
| December 2 | Health, Wellness and Sustainability December 3 | Designing for Life: Integrating Wellness and Biophilia December 9 | Designing with Nature’s Rhythm December 10 | What Designers Need To Know December 11 | Maximize Return with AI December 16 | Biophilia in the Bathroom |
Students & Educators
NKBA recently emailed educators to verify their school’s affiliation, which NKBA does annually to ensure accurate records. Chapter Officers, please find your state or province on this list and identify if any unverified schools fall within your chapter. If so, please email schools@nkba.org if you have a new point of contact for that school. Schools that remain unverified will be removed from the NKBA Affiliated Schools list.
Reminder! In January, we will email an invitation to all students and educators to join us at the annual Student & Educator Coffee Break at KBIS on Wednesday, February 18, 2:30 – 4:00 PM at the Orange County Convention Center.
This year’s featured speaker is Stacy McCarthy, CMKBD, who will explore important, yet often overlooked, human dimensions of design in “Spaces That Care: The Real-Life Impact of Kitchen and Bath Design.”If you’re a Chapter Officer who regularly connects with students or local schools, please email Kelly Ann Ryan (kryan@nkba.org) to request an invitation. We’d love for you to join us and help foster meaningful connections among attendees.
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.
Hot topics this month include:
U.S. Energy Star Program: Environmental Protection Agency walks back plans on eliminating the Energy Star Program, a popular program whose iconic blue labels help consumers to choose energy efficient home appliances.
Michigan: House considers several bills addressing the interior design profession in the state including creating an interior design license, establishing an interior design fee, and allowing certain interior designers to submit applications for building permits.
New York: Governor Hochul heeds the concerns of elected officials and delays the All-Electric Buildings Act which bans new gas hookups in new buildings under seven stories starting January 2026 due to shortfalls in the state’s electric grid.
Pennsylvania: House introduced Bill 2012 which would establish the state Board of Plumbing Contractors and provide for plumber and plumbing contractors licensure. 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
NKBA Professional Development team is offering a special Black Friday discount on educational programs through Sunday, January 4, 2026. All NKBA Specialty Badges are $99 (regular price $199); 4th Edition NKBA Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines are $50 with free shipping; and all CKBD bundles are $200 off. Please use promo code nkbabf25 at checkout. If you have any questions, please e-mail info@nkba.org.
Voices from the Industry (VFTI) is a valuable opportunity for learning and professional development, offering a wide range of educational sessions led by industry experts during KBIS. We encourage all members to visit the VFTI landing page at kbis.com to view the upcoming conference schedule and access the registration link. Chapter Officers receive free VFTI access throughout KBIS, and members can take advantage of discounted rates by registering early—encourage your members to register now before prices increase in January. Please help promote VFTI registration within your chapter so members don’t miss out on this enriching experience and chance to earn CEUs.
Gain CEU credits in December via NKBA Webinars. CEU reporting deadline is June 30, 2026 – earn and report today!
Cheers to our newest NKBA Specialty Badge earners!
Students
Jenni Anderson, Floor Plans & Specifications Color, Tennessee, Student
Members
Jacob Iaasko, Contractor, Remodeling, Wisconsin/Upper Michigan
Alicia Stone, Brothers Flooring + Design, Universal Design, Plouse
Elicia Pyle, Neil Kelly Company, Lighting, Columbia River
Ashli Stivers, Shine Interior Design Studio, Floor Plans & Specifications, LA/MS/AR
Junene Hrycko, Arizona Designs Kitchens & Baths, Floor Plans, Arizona South
Sierra Parsons, Cabinets Plus, Inc., Remodeling, Chicago Mid West
Debra Misbin, Debra Misbin Designs, Color, Mid Atlantic
Kim Cahoy, Kimberly Cahoy Design LLC, Cabinetry, Nebraska/Kansas
Ellen Griffen, Griffen Interiors, Remodeling, Iowa
Membership
Frequently Asked Questions and Member Videos for the most frequently 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.
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.
Company admins can remove employees who are no longer with the company directly through the company profile on www.nkba.org.
To add new employees, please email info@nkba.org and our Member Relations Team will be happy to assist. We’ll need:
- First and last names
- Unique email addresses
Any employees working directly for an NKBA member company can be added at no charge—including Sales Reps who work from a home office.
If you have individuals on your roster without email addresses, please send those names to info@nkba.org as well. We’ll reach out to confirm their status with the company and, if applicable, secure an email address.
Have questions? We’re always glad to help—just reach out to info@nkba.org.
Thank you!
NKBA’s Member Relations team is always available to assist our Members and Chapters. Contact them at 1-800-843-6522 or email info@nkba.org.
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
Chapters Engagement Manager – kshechter@nkba.org
Melissa Flynn, 610-988-6046
Chapters & Skilled Trades Manager – mflynn@nkba.org
Elizabeth Mace, 610-988-6029
Chapters & Professional Development Project Manager – emace@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 .
