Tuesday, January 24, 2012

 

Annette Gray
Manager of Media Relations
(908) 813-3773
agray@nkba.org

 

Hackettstown, N.J. (January 24, 2012) – The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is proud to announce that it has served as the professional resource for kitchen safety and planning in this year’s HGTV Dream Home 2012.

A 4,000-square-foot modern Western ranch house has been constructed outside of picturesque Park City, Utah, and HGTV adhered to the NKBA’s kitchen planning guidelines with access standards, in creating sound, high-functioning, and enduring spaces.

The 31 Kitchen Planning Guidelines cover all areas of the room, some of which include the work triangle traffic, seating clearance, dishwasher placement and cooking surface ventilation, to oven landing area, electrical receptacles and lighting.

“We are proud to continue our relationship with HGTV, and offer the NKBA Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines as a respected industry resource in the creation of functional and sound kitchen and bath spaces,” said Certified Kitchen Designer Alan W. Zielinski, 2012 NKBA President. “The NKBA is honored to be part of this exceptional project.”

Each year over the past 16 years, HGTV has selected a new location as the site for the HGTV Dream Home House Planner Jack Thomasson has headed up a team of experts that construct the home over the course of only six months. Each home is featured on HGTV.com through periodic blog updates, time lapse photos and video chronicling the exterior progress of the project.

Entrants have the opportunity to enter twice daily – once on HGTV.com and once on FrontDoor.com through February 17, 2012, at 5 p.m. ET, with the entry period having launched on December 30, 2011.

Now that the home is completed and HGTV Dream Home Interior Designer Linda Woodrum has put her finishing touches on the interior and exterior spaces, the NKBA is proud to add its seal of approval on the kitchen that was constructed with the incorporation of NKBA-generated planning and safety guidelines. Additionally, the NKBA is glad for the opportunity to continue the relationship with HGTV and House Planner Jack Thomasson, who spoke at the NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in 2010, and served as a judge for the Best of KBIS Awards at KBIS 2011. “Knowing that our kitchen adhered to NKBA guidelines gave us the assurance that our kitchen was well planned, safe and accessible, in addition to being beautiful,” confirmed Thomasson.

 

Hello from your new chapter president!

 

By the time you will be reading this newsletter, I will have been sworn in as our  NKBA Rocky Mountain Chapter President.   Please know that I am honored by my position and vow to do my best for our chapter.

 

Joining me in leading our chapter’s business is a wonderful group from last year and five new Officers – Julie Pero, moving to lead our Strategic Planning; Mary Jo Hren, taking on Government Relations; and Nowell (pronounced NoEL) Vincent, taking on Professional Development; Emily Cathcart, taking over as Treasurer; and DeAnna Call taking on Academic Relations.

 

Special recognition needs to be given to Emily and Nowell as they both live in Fort Collins and will be traveling to our Board of Directors and Chapter meetings!

 

Carolyn Spottsville remains as our chapter Secretary, Jan Neiges as Programs VP, Angie Lawrence as our IT guru, James Manu as our Communications go to person, Theresa Colllins as our Membership leader, and Pam Fischer as our Chapter Representative.

 

Join us at our January Chapter meeting on January 26^th – BAC (Builders Appliance Center, Englewood, CO), where we will introduce ourselves as your 2012 Board of Directors for the NKBA Rocky Mountain Chapter.   The topic for the meeting is “How To Get Published”.

 

I am pleased to announce that Front Range Community College (FRCC) has passed the muster to become an accredited college within the NKBA accreditation program.  Our thanks to Nowell Vincent, who is FRCC’s Interior Design Program Director and spearheaded this action.

 

On December 4^th, 2011, our chapter held its annual Gala.  This was combined with a fundraiser for our first scholarship fund.  Please read Jan Neige’s article – Programs VP – to view our success!

 

As I am writing this in advance of the new year, I am speculating that the ASID and CIDC have, or are planning, to introduce a form of “registration” (title or practice act) legislation for Interior Designers.  See Mary Jo Hren’s information on our NEW Government Relations page.  Bookmark that page to keep informed on the latest information.

 

Please read Julie Pero’s article about our newly revised sponsorship program.  As a Chapter Sponsor your company will enjoy numerous benefits that far outweigh the revised cost.

 

The items and events mentioned above are just a few things that we (your Board of Directors and committee members) are working on or recently accomplished.  Both Regionally and Nationally, your Rocky Mountain Chapter is leading the way by developing a great website for our members and consumers, publishing a quarterly Newsletter, holding chapter meetings that are viable and important learning venues, and working diligently on your behalf to create and maintain an organization that you are proud to be a part of.  Please contact me or one our Board members with your comments, ideas, or wanting to know how you can participate more actively!

 

Michael Luzier, CKD

NKBA Rocky Mountain Chapter – 2012 President