HunterDouglas Certified
Professional Installer
Window
Fashions Institute; Bronze
Lutron
Certified
Shading
System
Sr.
Technician
CEDIA
Custom
Electronic
Design & Installation
Association
LEED for
(CI) Commercial
Interiors
Recognized
nationally
and internationally
as a leader
in the
shading
motorization
industry, Hipps
and Company,
Inc,
of Fort
Lauderdale,
FL, has
been a
proud member
of WCAA
since 1987.
Hipps
and Company,
Inc.
is a
third
generation
company
serving
the Southeastern
United
States,
the Bahamas
and the
Caribbean
Islands.
Specialties
are motorized
shading
solutions,
motorization,
and automation.
Sales
and Service
offices
are in
Jacksonville,
Orlando
and Fort
Lauderdale,
Florida.
Education
Margi
graduated from the New York School
of Interior Design and Sheridan
College. She has been an Interior
Designer in both the US and Canada
for more than 30 years.
Teaching
She
taught interior design at Sheridan College, Brampton, Ontario (20
years) and The Academy of Design in Toronto, Canada (5 years).
Member of CMG, (The Color Marketing Group) for 15 years and traveled
throughout Canada and the US forecasting color and lecturing
on "The
Direction of Color".
Margi has developed and taught
numerous CEU accredited courses.
TV
Programs
Margi
has
hosted
and
produced
her
own
TV
shows: "Desperate
Designs", "Dr.
Decorator", "The
Designing
Doctor",
and "Moments
with
Margi".
She
also
co-hosted
the
national
TV
show "Let’s
Build
A
House," and "Lunch
Time
Live" for
3
years
in
Toronto,
Canada.
Author
Builder
Architect
magazine
Furniture
World
magazine
Toronto
Star
Charlotte
Observer
Associate
editor
Lake
Norman
Times
magazine
Mandarin
Homes
magazine
Major
Clients
The
Designing
Doctor,
LLC
(Margi's
consultation
company)
Co-designer
of
the
first
R2000
house
built & decorated
in
Canada.
(Environmentally
responsible
through
energy
efficiency.)
Hunter
Douglas
Window
Fashions,
Inc.
Tapestria
Furniture Land
South
Drexel
Heritage
Manager
of
color & design
Para
Paints,
Canada
Vice
President
of
WCAA
(Window
Coverings
Association
of
America)
Verticals
Etc began
in 1993
as a factory
outlet
specializing
in vertical
blinds.
Over the
next decade
the company
evolved
into a
standalone
business
focused
on quality,
professionally
installed
window
coverings.
Ed
Hopkins purchased
Verticals
Etc. in 2003,
and has built
upon the
fine reputation
of the company
by expanding
the highly
trained staff
and quality
product offerings.
With
this emphasis
in mind,
Ed made the
decision
in late 2004
to join a
new national
network of
dedicated
window covering
retailers
called Exciting
Windows!.
Beth
Hodges is
the owner
of Soft
Furnishings,
a workroom
located
in Elberton,
Georgia,
which,
after
22 years,
is still
based
in the
basement
of her
home.
She operated
Soft
Furnishings
for the
first
eight
years
as a
one-person
retail
workroom.
Now,
Soft
Furnishings
has expanded
to employ
five
people
and provides
a wide
variety
of wholesale
workroom
services
around
the country.
The workroom
has grown
incrementally
through
Beth’s
attention
to customer
service
and her
product
knowledge.
She attends
shows
and seminars
regularly,
and strives
to keep
Soft
Furnishings’ methods
up to
date
and at
the very
highest
end of
the current
industry
standards.
Jenna
Abbott was
appointed
the Executive
Director of
the Window
Coverings
Association
of America in
May 2009.
Prior
to her
appointment,
she was
a National
WCAA
Director
and the
sole
proprietor
of Sew
Elegant
by Jenna,
a “to
the trade” workroom
founded
in 2001.
Jenna
believes
the pursuit
of education
leads
to a
more
efficient
operation
and a
well
rounded
business
owner
and she
strongly
supports
the mission
of the
WCAA.
She is
a founding
member
of the
Northern
California
Chapter
of the
WCAA,
and a
proud
alumnus
of the
Custom
Home
Furnishings
Academy
in Charlotte,
NC.
Accreditations
WCAA
Certified
Window
Treatment
Consultant
WCAA
Certified
Workroom
Professional
Custom
Home
Furnishings
Academy
Advanced
Window
Treatment
Career
Professional
Custom
Home
Furnishings
Academy
Installation
Career
Professional
Jeanelle
Dech is president
of Adaptive
Textiles™,
a digital
textile
printing company
in West
Chester,
PA, and
is the
founder
and co-owner
of Crab
Apple
Interiors,
LLC,
a retail
design
studio also
in Pennsylvania.
She shares
over
20 years
experience
creating
custom
home
furnishings,
and has
become known
for her
energizing
and innovative
approach
to design
and fabrication.
Jeanelle
is a
regular
speaker
at IWCE
and D&WC
Conferences
and teaches
workroom
and business
classes
at the
CHF Academy
and Temple
University.
William
(Bill) J.
Taylor IV
Rowley Company
WCAA
Director
William
(Bill)
J. Taylor
IV is
an owner
and managing
partner of
the Rowley
Company,
serving as
the Chief
Executive
Officer,
which is
a leading
supplier
to the window
coverings
industry.
Prior to
joining the
Rowley Company
in November
of 2006 he
was Executive
Vice President
of Microban
International,
Ltd., the
branded leader
in antimicrobial
technology
having global
accountability
for Strategic
Business
Development,
Operations,
R&D,
Regulatory,
and Quality
Assurance
for MBI.
Previously,
he was
Vice
President,
Global
Operations
for MBI.
Prior to
joining
MBI in
November
1995, Bill
served
as the
Operations
Manager
for Clinitex
Medical
Corp.
Earlier
in his
career,
Bill was
Supervisor
of Plant
Personnel,
responsible
for operations
and human
resource
management
at Anheuser-Busch.
Bill also
previously
worked
in the
retail
division
of Nike,
Inc. where
he was
responsible
for managing
the operations
of concept
stores
including
sales,
marketing
and inventory
control.
Bill
is a
former
world-class
athlete
who competed
on several
U.S. National
Teams including
three U.S.
World Cross
Country
Championship
Teams.
Bill
received
a BAA in
Exercise
Science & Physiology
from Central
Michigan
University
and a MBA
from the
McColl Graduate
School of
Business
at Queens
University
of Charlotte.
Ramon
Hardy
Accent
Draperys & Interiors
WCAA
Director
Ramon
Hardy,
Jr. is
the co-owner
of
located
in Richmond
Va. Accent
started
as a
home
based
business
over
twenty
years
ago and
have
grown
into
a 24,
000 sq.
ft. facility
that
include
a well
equipped
workroom,
design
center,
and large
showroom.
We
offer
wholesale
and retail
services
to our
many
clients.
Ramon
shares
his industry
knowledge
as a
speaker
at the
D&WC
Conferences
and has
been
featured
in the
fun “Designer
Sketch
Races” held
during
the conferences.
He is
an active
member
in the
local
WCAA
chapter.
Currently
Ramon
brings
with
him over
30 years
of experience
as a
Battalion
Chief
with
the Richmond
Fire
Department
where
he has
focused
on leadership
management,
team
building
and mentoring.
Linda
Principe
Linda
Principe
Interiors
LLC
WCAA
Director
Linda
Principe has
been the
owner of
Linda Principe
Interiors
LLC in Cranbury,
NJ since
1988. Linda
provides
residential
interior
design services
with a specialty
in window
treatments
in the central
New Jersey
area.
Prior
to owning
her own
business,
Linda held
several
marketing
positions
in the
financial
sector.
Linda
has been
a member
of the
WCAA
since
1997
and joined
the board
of the
WCAA
Central
NJ Chapter
at its
inception
in 2005.
Linda became
Chapter
president
in 2008
and has
spearheaded
its growth
to become
the largest
chapter
in the
country
in 2009.
Linda
is presently
an instructor
for the “Window
Treatments” class
in the Interior
Design Certificate
program at
Mercer County
Community
College.
Linda’s
work has
been included
in Window
Fashions
magazine
and she is
a past Editorial
Board member,
featured
writer and
column coordinator.
She has also
been published
in Design
NJ magazine
as well as
several local
newspapers.
Michele
Williams is the
owner
and Creative
Director
of The
Scarlet
Thread.
She holds
a B.S.
in Business
Administration
from
the University
of South
Carolina.
After
a career
in
financial
software
development
with
Management
Science
America
and
Dun & Bradstreet
Software,
Michele
decided
to
pursue
a new
career
path
in
textiles.
Joe
Jankoski is the Vice
President
of Corporate
Merchandising
for Hunter
Douglas and
has been
at Hunter
Douglas since
1989. Joe
has 35 years
of window
covering
industry
experience
as he spent
15 years
at Levolor
before joining
Hunter Douglas.
Joe is
currently
the President
of the
Window
Coverings
Manufacturing
Association,
and a Trustee
for the
Window
Covering
Safety
Council.
Joe holds
an MBA
from Fairleigh
Dickinson
University
and resides
in Morris
Plains,
New Jersey.
WCAA
National
President
