MajorsSep 09, 2025
MJSA Education Foundation Announces 2025 Scholarship WinnersMajorsDec 02, 2025
Lee Krombholz Takes Over as Chair of MJSA Education Foundation
In addition, a slate of new officers and trustees were appointed to the board.
The MJSA Education Foundation has named, from left to right, Lee Krombholz as chair, Michael Coan as vice chair, Donna DeLucia as secretary, and Joanna Joy Seetoo as treasurer, along with four new trustees.
New York—The MJSA Education Foundation has appointed a new slate of officers and four trustees to its board.
Lee Krombholz, the foundation’s former vice chair, was named chair of the board, succeeding Joseph Esposito.
Krombholz is the CEO of Cincinnati-based Krombholz Jewelers. He has served on MJSA’s board of directors and frequently contributes to the organization’s publications and seminar programs.
Michael Coan will now serve as vice chair.
He is a longtime member of the foundation’s board and is an assistant professor of jewelry design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, where he served as chair of the jewelry department from 2001 to 2015.
Donna DeLucia, also a longtime member of the foundation’s board, was named secretary.
She is a business development executive with M. Schamroth & Sons in New York and is the vice president of inclusion and belonging for the Women’s Jewelry Association.
Joanna Joy Seetoo will serve as treasurer.
She is San Diego-based jewelry designer and consultant who formerly managed GIA’s Jewelry Manufacturing Arts program in Carlsbad, California, and also was an assistant director and instructor at the Revere Academy in San Francisco.
Four new trustees have also joined the MJSA Education Foundation’s board.
The new trustees are:
Amanda Gizzi, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Jewelers of America;
Chris Ploof, owner of Leominster, Massachusetts-based Chris Ploof Designs;
Jason Chandler, founder of the Portland Jewelry Academy in Portland, Oregon; and
Karen Smith, metal artist and founder of training program We Wield the Hammer in Oakland, California.
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Lee Krombholz, the foundation’s former vice chair, was named chair of the board, succeeding Joseph Esposito.
Krombholz is the CEO of Cincinnati-based Krombholz Jewelers. He has served on MJSA’s board of directors and frequently contributes to the organization’s publications and seminar programs.
Michael Coan will now serve as vice chair.
He is a longtime member of the foundation’s board and is an assistant professor of jewelry design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, where he served as chair of the jewelry department from 2001 to 2015.
Donna DeLucia, also a longtime member of the foundation’s board, was named secretary.
She is a business development executive with M. Schamroth & Sons in New York and is the vice president of inclusion and belonging for the Women’s Jewelry Association.
Joanna Joy Seetoo will serve as treasurer.
She is San Diego-based jewelry designer and consultant who formerly managed GIA’s Jewelry Manufacturing Arts program in Carlsbad, California, and also was an assistant director and instructor at the Revere Academy in San Francisco.
The MJSA Education Foundation’s new trustees are, from left to right, Amanda Gizzi, Chris Ploof, Jason Chandler, and Karen Smith.
Four new trustees have also joined the MJSA Education Foundation’s board.
The new trustees are:
Amanda Gizzi, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Jewelers of America;
Chris Ploof, owner of Leominster, Massachusetts-based Chris Ploof Designs;
Jason Chandler, founder of the Portland Jewelry Academy in Portland, Oregon; and
Karen Smith, metal artist and founder of training program We Wield the Hammer in Oakland, California.
Rich Youmans will continue to serve on the board and implement its initiatives as executive director.
The MJSA Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 subsidiary of Jewelers of America, supporting career and training programs for students and workers in the industry.
Its initiatives include the “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarship, whose 2025 winners were announced in September.
Visit MJSA’s website to learn more.
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