The NUA is Proud to Introduce our New Board Officers!
We're thrilled to announce new NUA Board officers as well as brand new Board members. These new positions will be held from 2022-2024. Learn more about our new leadership team on the Meet the Board page of the NUA website.
Our new President is Harmony Maraldo of Tack & Tuft. Prior to serving as an officer, she was a Board Member and Chair of the Membership Committee.
Our new Treasurer is Grace Reff of Grace Ann Upholstery. Prior to serving as an officer, she was a Board Member and Chair of the Finance Committee.
Congratulations and Welcome to our Newest Board Members! From Left to Right: Kevin Fuller, custom furniture designer; Keaven Hartt of Willa Hartt; Manda Yost of Manda Marie Upholstery
Farewell and Thank You
We offer our deepest gratitude to our outgoing Board members: Cynthia Bleskachek of the Funky Little Chair and Founding Board member; Carla Pyle of Natural Upholstery and Founding Board member; Jamie Facciola of Furniturecycle; and Terry Knollenberg.
The NUA Shop is Openfor Business
Show off your NUA pride with some great new swag! Every purchase helps support the National Upholstery Association. Check back next month for new products!
Notice the modified logo? For our new merchandise, we needed to simplify our logo to offer more options. We hope you like the look!
Congratulations to Ray Hart, who won our store launch raffle. He will be receiving an NUA tote bag.
Volunteer Recognition
Volunteers are the heart of our organization. Our board and committees are composed of unpaid volunteers who are passionate about supporting and advancing the field of upholstery. To celebrate our colleagues’ stand-out efforts, we're recognizing a Volunteer of the Year and a Volunteer of the Quarter. Nominations are welcome any time during the year.
Volunteer of the Year - 2021
Carla Pyle
Carla has been with the NUA from the beginning. She has been involved in so many behind-the-scenes aspects of the Association that it's hard to list them all, but we'll try. Carla is one of the Association Founders and was the NUA's first Secretary on the Board of Directors. Later, as a Director at Large she was instrumental in writing many of the organization documents the NUA uses today. It doesn't sound glamorous, but it was oh-so important! Most recently, she was the Team Leader for the Volunteer Committee, which helps recruit volunteers and keeps the NUA organized.
Volunteer of the Quarter - Q4, 2021
Amber Robertson
Amber has been instrumental in bringing the NUA shop to life and has brought a lot of enthusiasm to the NUA! Her coordination of this project gives members the opportunity to show their NUA pride on various shirts, hats, and bags. Amber plans to continue helping the NUA coordinate special events, along with the merchandise store.
The NUA's Webinar Committee collates fresh content every month to highlight the expertise of our community and to enrich our members with tools, skills, and resources.
Webinars
Our next webinar is Tuesday, February 8 at 1:00pm EST: Enhance Your Upholstery Business by Offering Chair Caning Services. Have you ever given thought to learning the related skill of chair caning and then offering it as an additional service to your customers? In this presentation, Cathryn Peters, aka The Wicker Woman, will touch on some of the historical aspects of the ancient chair seat weaving craft and its materials. She will then suggest ways to incorporate this newly learned skill into your business, creating more income for you and added services to the public.Members, check your email to register today!
Ceil DiGuglielmo: Paying it Forward in Precious Space
By Monica Rhodes, NUA Volunteer and Owner of Monday Wash Furniture
One day in August, I was in my workroom prepping my machine. As I adjusted my lamp to thread the needle, Ceil DiGuglielmo began her fifth anniversary podcast. She talked about being astounded by the opportunities the podcast has brought her, about fear being her constant companion, and about learning to ask for help. We tend to see our present status as a situation, not a process; so busy with what we are doing that we fail to witness what we have done. During her anniversary podcast, Ceil encouraged her listeners to get out their photo albums and reflect on all the past moments, big and small, that form the foundation of their businesses.
Reframing the Future: A Departing Board Member's Call to Action
By Jamie Facciola, Departing NUA Board Secretary and Founder of Furniturecycle
As the circular economy dawns, is our industry ready to meet this moment? It won’t be without a strong trade association. While other industries try to match up to our ancient mindset and skill set, we need to catch up with their resources, partnerships, power and messaging. How will the reupholstery industry position itself to take full advantage of this forthcoming wave? To me, this is the NUA’s ultimate task. Continue reading
Industry News
Upcoming Grants
Repair and Reuse Grants, hosted by StopWaste. Projects must be located in and/or serve the residents and/or businesses of Alameda County, California. This grant is available to nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Applications are due 2/15/22 at 5pm PT. Learn more
Upcoming Events
MasterTech Expo, hosted by Mobile Solutions, Mesa, AZ, March 6-9, 2022. The event is open to upholsterers, fabricators, designers, 12 volt technicians, and more.
The NUA was founded in 2019 to inspire a rebirth of the upholstery profession. Our mission is to work together to support and advance the field of professional upholstery. Membership benefits include Continuing Education, Networking, Member's Only Resources, and more.
