NKBA invites all 2023 officers to attend Chapter Officer Training which will be held at KBIS on Monday, January 30, 2023. Officers will receive a hotel and travel benefit, and a complimentary package for events at the show. A detailed travel letter will be mailed to you with additional information. Please do not register for KBIS or book airfare until you have received the travel letter which will provide further instructions. NKBA will not provide reimbursement for arrangements made that do not follow the detailed guidelines in the letter.

It’s time to check the webpages!  Remember to keep news relevant and up-to-date. Post those events and member spotlights. 

The Communications Chair is responsible for maintaining your chapter’s webpages. Upcoming chapter meeting notices, local news, pictures and local sponsors all contribute to robust web pages. And, don’t forget to repost articles from the National Newsfeed to remind members of events and some great topics. 

Additionally, your chapter officers’ email addresses on the “About Us” page should be populated by you. Many chapters are using generic email addresses and we are now allowing you to populate this area. If you need any assistance navigating your web pages, contact us at chapters@nkba.org.

It’s great to see many chapters moving the meetings outside! Ball games, yard games, architecture tours (in and out), barbecues and cruises.  Keep the great ideas flowing!

Here are some thoughts about membership retention and growth.

• At your next council meeting:
  • Review the Membership Growth plan outlined in Strategic Plan
  • Discuss if it is achievable and how is the chapter progressing.

• Some additional ideas: 
  • Celebrate and appreciate your membership, welcome them back as in-person meetings are a reality again.
  • Task your members or council to tell at least 5 professionals about the NKBA, have them document! (Perhaps a reward can be arranged)
  • Give your local NKBA events exposure via your webpages and/or social media sites. This can be priceless to members.
  • Keep members excited about their membership – we recommend sharing this at a meeting or on a post:  NKBA Video 
  • Survey your members, ask them what kind of experiences they would like to be part of in the chapter. 

• More meeting Ideas: 
  • Recycle Ideas!  If it brought engagement in the past, bring it back!
  • Think outside the box (or screen) for something more ideal. Mix up the topics and speakers. Turn learning into a game (everyone loves trivia!). Have year-long competitions and track points. At the end of the year, the member with the most points wins a prize. 
  • Engage your hosts — they’re members, too, and they might have some great ideas!

For all the Programs Chairs – check out this article on improving meeting attendance. Click here for some helpful tips.

The Chapter Resources page contains information on all chapter programs and provides links to many of the forms used by each officer position. It can be accessed by using your personal ID# to log in to the NKBA website. Click here (or at Find a Chapter/Chapter Officer Resources).

The Chapters team is also a resource to all chapter officers. If you need assistance with understanding your role or responsibilities, please contact us at chapters@nkba.org.

Help us increase the number of collaborators. There are already connections being made. – Join the Slack channel today. Click here.

The CEU submission extension for this past CEU cycle that ended June 30, 2022 will cease on August 31, 2022. If you have questions regarding your status, please contact our Member Relations team at (800) THE-NKBA or info@nkba.org.

CEU Reminder! If you miss a CEU program due to budget or travel constraints, the NKBA Free Webinar Series is a great way to expand your industry knowledge and collect CEUs! Click here to register.

As a reminder, NKBA Chapter Meetings and events, vendor training and NKBA CEU Provider Programs count toward CEUs. Log onto nkba.org using your computer or smartphone to check your CEU total and submit your CEUs today.  Also, chapter officers can self-report .3 CEUs per year for your leadership as an officer. Click here for more information in the CEU Handbook.

Congratulations to our newest Certified Kitchen and Bath Designers!  

Devon Kolomyjec, CKBD, Oklahoma, Bel Atelier

Lana Zepponi Meyers, CKBD, Tennessee, Lana Zepponi Meyers Interior Design

Krystal Anderson, CKBD, Minnesota, Floor to Ceiling Carpet One

Kelsey Whilden, CKBD, Baltimore/Washington, American Woodmark Corporation

Kendrick Williams, CKBD, Baltimore/Washington, American Woodmark Corporation

Tiffany Lowmaster, CKBD, Pittsburgh Tri State, Lowe’s of Indiana PA.

Carly Seefeldt, CKBD, Wisconsin/Upper Michigan, Kohler Company

Mo LV, CKBD, Prairie Provinces, Home Depot #7245

Holly Hood, CKBD, Puget Sound, Bellingham Millwork Supply Company

Gail Henning, CKBD, Texas North Plains, Cabinetworks Group Michigan, LLC

Carrie Galvez, CKBD, Chicago Mid West, Diamond Bath LLC

Laila Ferri-Johnson, CKBD, Puget Sound, Designed Smart

Of Note: Kohler Co. is debuting a pilot education program featuring NKBA-approved CEU courses. The self-paced video courses, found here, are open to NKBA members and are available through October 29, 2022.

Congratulations to our newest NKBA Specialty Badge earners! 

Matthew Peterson, Cabinetry, Central Florida, Legato Kitchen & Bath

Ricky Mutya, Floor Plans & Specifications, Carolina, Hillman Design Build

Stephanie Trannel, Color and Sales & Marketing, Iowa, Red House Remodeling

Adam Fox, Remodeling, Mid Atlantic, Foxs Remodeling Company LLC

Katherine Freed, Floor Plans & Specifications, Iowa, Cabinets By Design

Augustine Agata, Floor Plans & Specifications, Wisconsin/Upper Michigan, Kohler Company

Molly McDavid, Remodeling, Northern California

Gerson Jerohan Zelaya Castillo, Remodeling, Baltimore/Washington, Black and White Kitchen and Bath

Meagan Davison, Sustainability, Ohio State, Cabinet-S-Top, Inc.

Jenna Porter, Floor Plans & Specifications, Iowa, Red House Remodeling

Kendal Cavalieri, Lighting and Sales & Marketing, Central New York, Kendal Cavalieri Design

Christie Dixon, Lighting, Central New York, Upscale Remodeling

Diana Rojas, Floor Plans & Specifications and Lighting, Metro New York, El Design Studio

Jessica Walker, Floor Plans & Specifications, Southern California, Yucaipa Kitchen & Bathroom Designs & Remodeling

Gudrun Enger, Universal Design, Northern California, Studio Gudrun

Matthew Kahler, Remodeling, Puget Sound, Tenhulzen Painting & Construction Partners

Alex Pizzo, Floor Plans & Specifications, Metro New York, El Design Studio

Katia Lalanne, Cabinetry, Ottawa, 2020

Ashley Holeton, Cabinetry, Minnesota, Murphy Bros. Design/Build/Remodel

Complete Your NKBA Specialty Badge! Have you started the process to earn an NKBA Specialty Badge but have yet to take the test? We’d like to encourage those of you to take the online exam and earn your badge today! If you’re ready to proceed to the exam, please fill out the NKBA Badge Exam Form. 

The Specialty Badge flyer and informational webinar is available to all Chapters. If you have any questions or need assistance, please email badge@nkba.org or call our Member Relations team at (800) 843-6522.

The NKBA Design Webinar Program will feature Smart Home Tech webinars in September. Each webinar will have a different focus and include content on the following: water technology integration, home holistic wellness design, smart laundry appliances, and sustainability and energy conscious initiatives in the appliance sector.     

You must attend 80% of the “live” webinar session to earn .1 CEU per webinar. All webinars in September  are generously sponsored by Blum. Click here to learn more about our sponsor.

NKBA currently has 26 national volunteers who give their time and energy to the committees that assist in running our Association. These committees include the Board of Directions, Chapter Leadership Committee, Leadership Recruitment Committee, and KBIS Exhibitor Committee. Seeking to elevate and spotlight these volunteers, NKBA is running 5 questions with blog posts to highlight their dedication to NKBA and the industry. NKBA plans on showcasing one volunteer a week through the National Elections cycle, which opens September 1st and closes September 30th. To see the August posts click the below links! For more information on submitting your application for a national volunteer position, please click here. 

Board Member Jan Neiges, CMKBD

Leadership Recruitment Committee Member Steve Petock 

Board Member Ken Roberts

KBIS Exhibitor Committee Member Jonathan Krieger

For more than 30 years, NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Hall of Fame has honored individuals who not only embody the spirit of our dynamic industry, but also contribute to its growth. Each year, NKBA asks its members to nominate someone they believe has made a significant difference in our industry. If you know someone who fits the criteria, please consider submitting them for consideration! NKBA’s Kitchen and Bath Hall of Fame nominations opened on August 15th, and as a member of the Association, you have the distinct honor to submit a nominee. Before submitting a nominee for consideration, please read the criteria carefully to ensure your nominee meets the Hall of Fame standards.

NKBA recently released its Q2 2022 NKBA/John Burns Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI) study. The report provides an economic read into the K&B industry on a quarterly basis based on member feedback, providing ratings for industry health, current and future conditions, as well as an overall index. The report also delves into challenges and opportunities by member segment. Among the highlights:

Ratings Falloff – All four industry measurements showed noticeable drop-offs, with the sharpest decline involving expectations for future business conditions.

Sales Deceleration – All four industry sectors are experiencing slowing sales, with Construction and Manufacturing registering their fourth consecutive quarter of lower YOY sales gains.

Cost Concerns – Rising prices are taking their toll with cost of materials and cost of inflation now identified as the top two member concerns.

The report provides further detail on these items and more. Click here to read it in its entirety. Access to all our reports are included in the cost of NKBA membership. Cost for non-members is $1995.  

As NKBA continues with its NextUp initiatives, we wanted to provide the chapters with some resources.  The below article was on the NKBA blog and newsletter and lets members know what is being worked on regarding skilled labor.  There is also a template at the end of the article that members can use to send to their legislators.  

NKBA + You = Addressing the Skilled Labor Shortage in the Kitchen & Bath Industry 

A new one-sheeter is also available for chapters to send to their local schools, use at home shows or other events promoting jobs in the skilled trades as well as the NKBA NextUp program.  Click here.

Exciting addition to your member profile! Login to NKBA.org to retrieve your individual member number. If you are a company owner, your company member number will be under your Organization’s Profile. While you are in your member profile, it’s a great time to add photos, your bio, social media links and more. The Member Relations team has a one-page instruction document available for distribution. Please reach out to us at info@nkba.org, and we will send you a copy of the instructions.

You can also schedule some time with one of our member relations’ professionals to walk through the process.  

In addition to updating your profile on the NKBA.org website, we also recommend that you keep your profile on the chapter website up to date. We receive inquiries from members asking for chapter officer contact information. In response to these inquiries, we refer members to the About Us link on the chapter website. Please ensure that this information is complete and up to date.   

The Member Relations team is here to assist you with updating your Chapter websites. If you need assistance adding or modifying an event, picture, sponsor etc… please do not hesitate to email us at info@nkba.org or pick up the phone and call us at 800-843-6522. We are always glad to lend a hand. 

NKBA offers free membership for all higher education students studying in the design and construction fields as well as discounted membership to all recent graduates. For more information, please email info@nkba.org or call our team at (800) 843-6522.

The NKBA is constantly encouraging students and young adults to consider a career in the Kitchen and Bath industry. This is due in part to the overwhelming Skilled Labor shortage that the industry is facing today. We developed a flyer promoting our NextUp program, and it is available to all of our chapters. Please help us promote this great initiative with all of your chapter members. If you need a copy of the flyer, please contact the Member Relations team. 

Please encourage your members to send any roster, employment, company name changes, etc. to info@nkba.org and the Member Relations Team will be happy to help!

Member Companies should take advantage of another wonderful NKBA member benefit,  posting job openings on NKBA.org job portal! This benefit is available to all active members, and is a complimentary service.  Reach out to us for details, (800) 843-6522 or info@nkba.org.