By Dianne M. Pogoda
The kitchen and bath industry has maintained its strength in the building and remodeling spheres, providing a wide range of careers within a lucrative and growing field. The NKBA is proud to recognize its Thirty Under 30 honorees — outstanding professionals who have distinguished themselves in branches of the business from design to marketing, sales to management, construction to product development and more.
Revenues in this field surpassed $134 billion in the past year — and that’s continuing to grow, heading in 2018 and beyond. With accomplished young professionals like those garnering Thirty Under 30 honors, the industry can be assured of a healthy and prosperous future.
The Thirty Under 30 winners will join the Association at the upcoming Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS®), to be held Jan. 9-11, 2018, in Orlando. The group will make its debut on the KBISNeXT Stage at 11:30 am on Jan. 9.
The candidates selected for the Thirty Under 30 program are: Destin Barkley, Allied ASID, D’Asign Source, Marathon, FL; Eileen Byrne, Hatchett Design/Remodel, Newport News, VA; Lindsay Cerilli, LEED GA, Cerulean Concepts, Leander, TX; Stephanie Chavez, Allied ASID, Selections By Steph, Austin, TX; Joseph Ciuffo, Ciuffo Cabinetry, Deer Park, NY; ; Nicole Conte, Attention To Details, Manchester Center, VT; Brianna Ellis, Rev-A-Shelf, LLC., Louisville, KY; Maryanna Estornes, Bright Ideas by Martinec, Big Flats, NY; Alannah Fanset, William Standen Co., Sarnia, ON; Alison Green, AKBD, Allied ASID, Jackson Design and Remodeling, San Diego, CA; Kailee Helget, AKBD, R. Henry Construction, Mankato, MN; Kelsey Holtz, Allied ASID, LEED GA, Green Design Center, Waukesha, WI; Erica Illions, Snappy Kitchens, Dallas, TX; Aimee Inouye, AKBD Sinclair Construction, Concord, CA; Zech Johnson, Southern Home Improvement, Dalton, GA; Kevin King, Barger, Washington, DC; Taryn Milburn, The Home Depot, Palm Coast, FL; Keara Miller, Cambria, Eden Prairie, MN; David Podwyszynski, Rangecraft Manufacturing, Fair Lawn, NJ; Elise Raydo, Monogram Appliances, Denver, CO; Briana Ryan, Fisher & Paykel Appliances, New York, NY; Lou Salge, Four Seasons Design & Remodeling, Angola, IN; EJ Silver, Studio41 Design Showroom, Chicago, IL; Giana Siska, Signature Kitchen & Bath Design Inc., Cupertino, CA; Samantha Snead, Reico Kitchen & Bath, Richmond, VA; Tyler Swartzmiller, Kitchen Kraft, Columbus, OH: Danielle Sylvia, Kitchen & Bath Details, Mattapoisett, MA; Katie Thurman, US Cabinet Depot, Acworth, GA; Melanie Towey, Emser Tile, Los Angeles, CA; Natalie Venalainen, Men At Work Design Build Ltd., Toronto, ON.
“This group of outstanding young professionals represents the future of the industry,” said Bill Darcy, NKBA Chief Executive Officer. “NKBA is proud to recognize them as part of this key program, and we’re looking forward to hearing their insightful presentations in Orlando. The Thirty Under 30 honor will help them as they continue to develop their careers, and we are happy to be a part of recognizing the next generation of industry leaders.”
NKBA is adding a new element to this year’s proceedings. Prior to KBIS 2018, the honorees will be assigned into six groups of five, with each team collaborating on a “Product of the Future.” The teams will present their creations on the KBISNeXT stage on Jan. 10. It’s sure to be an eye-opening presentation to see what these rising young professionals view as important developments in the space, what’s missing or what can be improved.
Introduced in 2013, the NKBA Thirty Under 30 program continues to capture the voice of the next generation of kitchen and bath professionals. If you would like your company associated with the best of the next generation of kitchen and bath professionals, contact Mauri Bailey at 678-900-2661 or email mbailey@nkba.org.
To learn more about KBIS 2018 and to register for the show and/or events, please visit www.kbis.com.
