Welcome to our weekly roundup of employee comings and goings and other people-related news across the home furnishings industry. Here’s the latest:
************************
WithIt, the women’s leadership development network for the home and furnishings industry, has named Cathy Valent, vice president sales for Springs Digital, as its 2025 president, along with several new members of the board of directors.
New directors include:
- Vice president of events co-chairs: Tarah Jakubiak, sales representative, Global Textile Alliance, and Serena Martin, founder and president, 24/7 Creative Agency
- Vice president of networking: Courtney Panther, material recovery manager, Sleep Number Corp.
- Vice president of technology: Shelia Butler, Jola.
“As we kick off 2025 and begin executing plans for WithIt’s 28th year, I look forward with excitement to working with each of our new board members and thank them for the investment of their time, talent, energy and enthusiasm,” said Valent. “The board’s unwavering support and dedication to our continued growth are the reasons we succeed year after year and how we are able to continue to bring exceptional educational programing and professional development opportunities for women in the home and furnishings industries.”
WithIt Executive Director Amy Van Dorp added, “I am thrilled beyond measure to welcome each of your new board members and to continue to drive the upward momentum we have developed with our expansion in mentorship, membership and programming.”
************************
Boutique textile company Pollack | Weitzner has appointed Dominick Mandile as chief financial officer.
Mandile joins the company after 24 years at Designtex, where he was CFO since 2013.
He joins the leadership team of Susan Whalen, president and CEO; Rachel Doriss, vice president of design, Pollack; Lori Weitzner, vice president of design, Weitzner; Brad Bloom, vice president of sales; and Amy Soule, vice president of marketing.
Pollack | Weitzner offers fabrics and wallcoverings under the brands Pollack, Spring Street by Pollack and Weitzner Limited, each with its own in-house design studio and unique aesthetic.
************************
Steinreich Communications Group, Inc. appointed Lauren West a director.
West is best known for her 15 years at Natuzzi, where she was head of communications and public relations. She will work in the firm’s home furnishings industry group led by Senior Vice President Kimberley Wray.
“Lauren brings to our clients not only terrific public relations experience, but because she has done so many other things –training and education, merchandising and design, she can really be a very comprehensive counselor to our clients, helping them far beyond press releases,” said Wray. “She has worked with so many leading brands in our industry that she brings an exciting best practices portfolio to our organization that will have an amazing impact on our clients.”
************************
Home furnishings industry veteran Alan Robert Feigenbaum died Jan. 30 from cancer. He was 87 years old.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Feigenbaum became the youngest senior vice president at Macy’s, before he went on to build home furnishings manufacturing businesses in Italy, Brazil and Yugoslavia.
Feigenbaum is survived by his wife Arlene, his son and two grandchildren.
