Committees

Get involved! This is your association, and we value your input. Following are descriptions of current A.R.E. committees and other volunteer groups. The investment of your time and expertise in participation not only determines the direction of your industry association, but can develop into long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships and opportunities with other industry professionals like yourself.

ASSOCIATE MEMBER

The committee's goal is to demonstrate how associate members create value for manufacturers and designers, as well as their clients (retailers), promote the value of associate membership to current and prospective members, and make sure member benefits meet member needs. The committee should also promote to associate members the value of networking and visibility at A.R.E. events and within the industry, particularly Industry Summit.

Chair: Bill Benson, President, Extrude-A-Trim Inc.
Staff Liaison: Susan Kimelman

Committee Members: 
Robert Brown, National Sales Manager, Panel Processing Inc.
Greg Carpenter, Vice President and General Manager, Specialty Lighting
Robert DeGroff, VP Design Development, Miller Zell
Tom DeMain, Business Manager, Sheet Division, Altuglas International  
Rich Eidman, President, Seymour & Associates
Norman Fink, Vice President, Global Sales, NPF Consulting
Roelena Manning, Vice President, Sales, Retail Marketing Services East
Richard Musel, Marketing Director, The Sherwin-Williams Co.    
Mark Sesti, Senior Account Executive, Titan Global Distribution, Inc. 
Bob Thomas, President, Suddath Transportation Services Inc.
John Wilkins, VP Strategic Client Development, Miller Zell

COSTING & ESTIMATING

Responsible for the development and execution of the Costing & Estimating Seminar and developing other programs to meet members’ costing and estimating-related needs.

Chair: Paul Pinkus, National Director, In-Store Marketing and Store Design Industry Group, RSM McGladrey Inc.
Staff Liaison: Karen Doodeman

Committee Members:  
Dave Mueller, Chief Operating Officer, Hamilton Fixture
Joe Stipati, Crown Metal Manufacturing Co.

DESIGN AWARDS

Responsible for the development and execution of the annual A.R.E. Design Competition and Awards Program.

Chair: Jim Wiemer, Vice President and Creative Director, DCI Marketing
Staff Liaison: Karen Doodeman

Committee Members:
Darcy DiFazio, Vice President, Administration, Allegheny Store Fixtures Inc. 
Tim Fearney, Show Director, Nielsen Business Media/GlobalShop 
Jackie Glanz, MG Concepts 
Mike Haddon, Chief Operating Officer, Dave Osborne Construction Contracting Inc.
Jonathan Irick, Environment Design Director, Ziba Design Inc.
Anne Johnson, Director, Marketing, Bergmeyer Associates Inc.
Tom Maglio, Executive Vice President, TDC INSTORE
Roelena Manning, Vice President, Sales, Retail Marketing Services East
Scott Monico, Vice President, Operations Presentations Plus of America
Blake Nielsen, Account Director Strategic Partnerships, The Carlson Group Inc.
Richard Stolls, Chairman, Trimco Display LLC

DREAM TEAM

Designers of Retail Environments and Merchandising Team (DREAM Team), a member think tank focused on retail design issues.

Chair: Bruce A. Barteldt Jr., National Retail Studio Principal, Little
Staff Liaison: Jo Rossman

Members:
See bios of DREAMers on the DREAM Team page.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND SUMMIT

Responsible for developing programs and services that address members’ general management needs, including finance, accounting, law, insurance, human resources, and strategic planning. Also responsible for the development of the program for the A.R.E. Annual Summit and working closely with the A.R.E. staff to assist in its execution.

Chair: Robert Reeve Frackelton, Vice President, Reeve Store Equipment Co.
Staff Liaison: Karen Doodeman

Committee Members:  
Donald Bloom, CEO, Prime Retail Services Inc. 
Chris Carlson, President, Carlson Co. Inc. of Madison 
Mike Haddon, Chief Operating Officer, American Installation Companies
Alan Harvill, President and CEO, EMI Industries
Eric Jones, Vice President, J.R. Jones Fixture Company 
Allison Oakes, Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator, Chute Gerdeman
Paul Pinkus, Managing Director, In-Store Marketing and Store Design Industry Group, RSM McGladrey Inc. 
Bob Riley, CEO and President, DSA/Phototech 
Dean Rubin, CEO, Rose Displays Ltd.
James Schubert, President, Showbest Fixture Corp.
Richard Stolls, Chairman, Lifestyle/Trimco Inc.
Stephan W. Waltman, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Stiles Machinery Inc.

INTERNATIONAL TASK FORCE

Responsible for achieving A.R.E.’s goal to become the resource to provide international business opportunities for our members.

Chair: Joel Katterhagen, Executive Vice President, Sales, Customer Service, and Project Management, Leggett & Platt Store Fixtures Group
Staff Liaison: Katherine Josephs

Committee Members:
Carl (Chip) Aschinger III, Vice President, International Sales, CSC Worldwide 
Robert Frackelton, Vice President, Reeve Store Equipment Co.
Brian Hahn, Account Manager, Retail Store Fixtures, Pacific Northern Inc. 
Reggie Medford, Director of Sales, Grand + Benedicts Store Fixtures
Simon Ong, Group Managing Director, Kingsmen Projects Pte Ltd. 
Stanley Valiulis, President and CEO, Southern Imperial Inc. 

MANUFACTURING

Responsible for the development and execution of the A.R.E. Manufacturing Seminar and for developing other programs and services to address members’ manufacturing-related needs.

Chair: Steve Varon, Director, Engineering, Crown Metal Manufacturing Co.
Staff Liaison: Karen Doodeman

Committee Members: 
Mark Bernhard, President, Bernhard Woodwork Ltd. 
Doug Cook, Executive Vice President and Partner, Displaycraft Inc.
Richard Eidman, President, Seymour & Associates
L. Duane Griffiths, Manager, Educational Services, Stiles Machinery Inc.
William Hutson, Vice President and General Manager, Vulcan Industries 
Sean Morris, Director, Operations, M&H Manufacturing
Dan Schmidt, President and CEO, The Combination Door Co.
Scott Schubert, Vice President, Manufacturing, Showbest Fixture Corp.

MARKETING

Responsible for developing and implementing programs to create a preference in the minds of buyers for products provided by A.R.E. members.

Chair: Kevin Hogan, VP Sales & Marketing, Stylmark Inc. 
Staff Liaison: Teri Carden

Committee Members:  

Chuck Bray, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Randal Displays Inc. 
Norm Friedrich, President, OCTANORM USA Inc. 
Marcy Goldstein, Marketing Director, JGA
Carrie Harvey Schnabel, Marketing Specialist, Stylemark, Inc.
Anne Johnson, Director, Marketing, Bergmeyer Associates Inc.
Roelena Manning, Vice President, Sales, Retail Marketing Services East
Blake Nielsen, Account Director Strategic Partnerships, The Carlson Group Inc.
Dean Rubin, CEO, Rose Displays Ltd.
Carroll Shipman, President, Presentations Plus of America
Ken Stolls, President, Lifestyle-Trimco

Lizzy Xiang, XiaMen XJF Industrial and Trading Co. Ltd.

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

To make recommendations to the A.R.E. Board of Directors on membership policy, dues, membership retention, and new member solicitation.

Chair: Richard Ernest, Crown Metal Manufacturing Inc.
Staff Liaison: Karen Schaffner
Staff Liaison: Marcia King-Gamble

Committee Members:  
John Empfield, Director, Marketing, Panel Processing Inc.
Wayne Laube, Sales Manager, Octanorm U.S.A. Inc.
John Oliver, East Coast Sales, Brown Wood Inc.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Responsible for the development and execution of the A.R.E. Project Management Seminar and for developing other programs to address members’ project management-related needs.

Chair: Mike Rotolo, President and CEO, E-B Display Co. Inc.  
Staff Liaison: Karen Doodeman

Committee Members:
David Allen, National Account Executive, Kenstan Lock Company
Isaac Bindert, President, Installation Solutions Inc.
Matthew Field, Vice President, Field Services, Goebel Fixture Co.
Jonathan Heinze, Director Of Operations, Prime Retail Services Inc.

SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL

Member focus group on green building in retail. Council members serve on the judging panel for A.R.E. Sustainability Awards.

Chair: Lisa A. Wynne, LEED AP BD+C, EDAC, CEO, EcoScapes Sustainability Solutions LLC
Staff Liaison: Jo Rossman, LEED AP ID+C, GPAP
Staff Liaison: Jaymee Lewin

Committee Members:
Bob DeGroff, LEED Green Associate, Vice President, Design Development, Miller Zell Inc.
Nancy Everhart, AIA, CDT, LEED AP BD+C, Retail Studio Principal, Little 
Andrew Ramirez, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Sustainability, Bishop Fixture & Millwork Inc.
Bob Riley, CEO/President, DSA/Phototech
Richard Shelley, LEED AP, Fetzer Architectural Woodwork
Rick Troxel, CSI, Product Manager, Roseburg
Wesley Woelfel, Design Director, Greneker

TRADE SHOWS

To act as a proactive coordinating body between A.R.E. members and Nielsen Business Media, representing members’ interests at GlobalShop in the Store Fixturing, Digital, and Visual Merchandising shows, and to maximize the effectiveness of trade shows for A.R.E. members and their customers.

Chair: Norm Friedrich, President, OCTANORM USA Inc.
Staff Liaison: Karen Doodeman

Committee Members:
John Clontz, Director, Marketing, Madix Store Fixtures
Tom DeMain, Business Manager, Sheet Division, Altuglas International 
Tim Fearney, Show Director, Nielsen Business Media/GlobalShop 
Jay Hogfeldt, CEO and Chairman, Wind Mill Slatwall Products
Roelena Manning, Vice President, Sales, Retail Marketing Services East
Klein Merriman, Executive Director, A.R.E
Melissa Santos, Director of Marketing, Rose Displays Ltd.
Brad Stewart, Director, Sales, Hera Lighting LP
Tom Valiulis, Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, Southern Imperial Inc.

VISUAL MERCHANDISING

Responsible for advancing the growth and development of the Visual Merchandising members of A.R.E.

Chair: William (Bill) McHenry, President and CEO, Elevations, Inc.
Staff Liaison: Katherine Josephs
Staff Liaison: Jaymee Lewin

Committee Members:
James Damian, Principal at James Damian Brand Integration Services, LLC
Dan Evans, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Goldsmith Studio 350
Nicola Evoli, CIO-Strategy-International Sales, Grottini  
Ignaz Gorischek, Vice President Stores, Visual, Planning, and Design, The Neiman Marcus Group Inc. 
Nancy Jackson, President, Architectural Systems Inc. 
Linda Lombardi, Vice President, Store Design and Visual Presentation, Godiva Chocolatier 
Brad Somberg, President, B&N Industries Inc.
Jeffrey A Spizale, National Director of Sales & Marketing, Presentations Plus of America
Ken Stolls, Executive Vice President, Trimco
Richard Stolls, Chairman, Trimco Display LLC 

Join a committee!

4651 Sheridan St Suite 470, Hollywood FL 33021 USA, Tel: 954-893-7300, are@retailenvironments.org