Events & Awards

JVC Reveals Recipient of Stanley Schechter Award

Events & AwardsMar 14, 2025

JVC Reveals Recipient of Stanley Schechter Award

Reeds Jewelers CEO Alan Zimmer will be presented with the honor at JVC’s annual luncheon.

Alan Zimmer
Alan Zimmer of Reeds Jewelers will receive the Jewelers Vigilance Committee’s Stanley Schechter Award, which honors those that embody leadership, integrity, and passion for elevating the jewelry community’s reputation in the U.S. and worldwide.
New York—The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has announced that Alan Zimmer of Reeds Jewelers is the recipient of the organization’s Stanley Schechter Award.

Zimmer will be presented with the award at JVC’s annual luncheon on March 14 at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.  

The award honors those that embody leadership, integrity, and passion for elevating the jewelry community’s reputation in the U.S. and worldwide, characteristics embodied by the late Stanley Schechter, said JVC.  

JVC established the award in 2002 to honor Schechter, founder of Honora Industries, who was known for his work in the pearl sector, as well as his more than 50 years of dedication to maintaining ethics and integrity in the jewelry industry. He was a lifetime member of JVC and a member of the JVC board from the 1960s to 2000.  

Stanley’s son Joel Schechter will present the award. 

Zimmer is the president and CEO of Reeds Jewelers. Son of Reeds founder Bill Zimmer, he joined his father’s company in 1981 as executive vice president, taking the reins as president and CEO by 1985. 

Under his leadership, the jeweler has blended high-touch experiential retail with innovative digital commerce through the Reeds website, said JVC.  

He has also embedded his dedication to philanthropy in Reeds’ culture; the company supports the Zimmer Cancer Institute at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and other charitable organizations. 

 Related stories will be right here … 

Zimmer is a recognized leader in the industry. In 1992, Zimmer was inducted into National Jeweler’s Retail Hall of Fame.

In 2019, he received the American Gem Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award.  

He has also served on industry and philanthropic boards, including for JVC, as well as for Jewelers of America, where he was chairman from 2003 to 2005. 

Zimmer currently serves on the Jewelers for Children board of directors, and previously, he was treasurer for the organization from 2016 to 2019 and chairman from 2019 to 2021.  

He has also served on the Jewelers’ Security Alliance board since 2018 and is currently chairman of the board. 

“I could not be more thrilled to recognize Alan Zimmer with this award,” said Sara Yood, JVC’s president, CEO, and general counsel.   

“Alan’s dedication to serving on industry boards shows just a hint of his passion for the jewelry industry and for elevating it in the eye of the consumer. He truly embodies the leadership values that were important to Stanley and have been passed down through generations.” 

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