Where Art Meets Innovation A Career Built on Curiosity, Craft, and Community By Maureen Klein Now serving as President of the NKBA Manhattan-NYC Chapter, Charlé-John Cafiero, known to most as CJ, has played a pivotal role in expanding the chapter’s reach and developing award-winning programs, such as EduDay. Before his role as president, he served as chair of communications and programs. He’s especially passionate about mentoring the next generation of kitchen and bath professionals and believes in the power of volunteering to create lasting industry impact. Below is the journey that brought him here. What role do you think your parents played in helping to determine your future career path? Even now, I can recall the distinct smell of ink on newsprint. That sensory memory is so deeply etched in my mind from when I tagged along with my father to his job as a printer for The New York Times. My mother, by contrast, was the creative heartbeat of our home; she had a natural eye for photography. Looking back, her creative instinct and my father’s tactile connection to the printed word created a foundation I didn’t fully appreciate until much later. You recently traded the constant hum of the city for the quiet rhythm of the lower Hudson Valley. Was Manhattan always your home? I was born and raised in NYC, but we moved to East Northport, Long Island, after my freshman year in high school. That transition was a stark contrast to the school I left; my new graduating class had only 99 students! It was there that I met Ms. Doris Rowe, my art teacher who would change the course of my life. She introduced us to all the mediums of art. I remember vividly the first time I saw an image appear in a developing tray—pure magic. I recall another project where we designed a 3-D model of a modern home. Even back then, I envisioned an open floor plan, decades before it became the standard. Any other activities during your high school days that helped shape your career? I became the art editor of our school’s art and literary magazine, where I worked closely with the writing students, curating artwork to complement their poetry and prose. It was my first taste of publication design, a glimpse of what was to come. And after high school? I enrolled at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in NYC. Being immersed in a program taught by working artists, many of whom were respected icons in their field, was both grounding and inspiring. As a Fine Arts major, my idealism flourished. Many classes were held inside museums, adding an almost sacred quality to the learning experience. I minored in photography, seeking a balance between artistic fulfillment and employable skills. Eventually, I shifted my focus toward advertising and graphic design, studying under some of the most legendary figures in the field, including Milton Glaser. Typography became a new love. What was your first professional job? With my photography skillset, I landed a position in the advertising department at Gimbels, then Macy’s, and Bloomingdale’s. I was the youngest on the team and often the only one carrying a 35mm Nikon, so I was frequently assigned to fashion shoots where they wanted someone more in tune with emerging styles and techniques. I soon found myself blending traditional methods with experimental multimedia presentations—an approach that would become a trademark of my career. | 
