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IJO seeks millennials’ input with new board
The Independent Jewelers Organization has created a Millennial Advisory Board to involve the group’s younger jewelers and hear their ideas and concerns.
Southport, Conn.--The Independent Jewelers Organization has created a Millennial Advisory Board to hear the ideas and concerns of the group’s younger jewelers who plan to make a career in the industry.
At each of the IJO’s semi-annual conferences the millennials will meet with IJO board member Dina Unwin of independent retailer Sterling Jewelers in Wethersfield, Conn. She then will take their comments and concerns back to the organization’s board of directors, which consists of nine retail and two vendor members, for further discussion.
The term for most on this Millennial Advisory Board is two years. Member are hand-selected by IJO President and CEO Jeff Roberts.
The current advisory board members are:
--Chris Caves of Caves Jewelers in DeSoto, Texas;
--Alex Hevia of Kiefer Village Jewels in Lutz/Land O’Lakes, Dade City and Brandon, Fla.;
--Alec Garcia of Garcia Jewelers in Farmington, N.M.;
--Mallory Murphy of Murphy Jewelers in Pottsville and Hamburg, Pa.;
--Landon Wiland of J. David Jewelers in Broken Arrow, Okla.; and
--Scott Kaufman of Allison-Kaufman Company in Van Nuys, Calif.
The first meeting will be held at the Omni Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. on July 25.
“This board represents the next generation of IJO. They are the future of our industry and I want to ensure, as best I can, that it’s everything that they want it to be,” Roberts said.
Getting younger people more involved in the jewelry industry has been a focus for many organizations recently, as all segments see the older generation retiring without many younger professionals to replace them.
The International Colored Gemstone Association lowered the cost of the registration fee for its annual congress for younger members, and the MJSA has a new initiative to introduce more young people to jewelry-making.
In addition, the International Gemological Institute and the Gemological Institute of America both have programs to garner interest in jewelry among school-aged children.
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