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Our Mission
Our mission is to make available educational and networking opportunities, to encourage a code of ethics for fair practices, and to work for the betterment of the window coverings industry. We believe that soft furnishings businesses and blinds / shutters companies deserve a partner.
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Our Vision
We are committed to providing professional networking opportunities, investing in educational opportunities that support the code of ethics and best business practices, and promoting the value and visibility of our professional members within the industry and to consumers.
Our Bylaws & Constitutions
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National Board of Directors
LuAnn Nigara co-owns Window Works in Livingston, NJ, specializing in window treatments and awnings. With annual sales of over $2 million and more than 25,000 clients on the roster since 1982, LuAnn brings a high level of business acumen to the WCAA.
In addition to being the host of the #1 interior design business podcast, A Well-Designed Business, LuAnn has presented at IWCE, the Hunter Douglas ACT Conference, The Design Blogger's Conference, and the Interior Design Society, LI Chapter. LuAnn also moderates panel discussions at industry events around the country.
Her book, The Making of A Well-Designed Business, is a veritable how to for the small business owner detailing the best principles for starting, growing and managing a healthy, successful business.
Elizabeth Gerdes is the Owner and Principal Designer of Stitch Above the Rest, LLC, a premier window coverings company based in Atlanta, Georgia. With a passion for textiles and a talent for transforming spaces, Elizabeth has built a reputation for delivering exceptional quality and creativity in custom window treatments for residential and commercial clients alike.
Since founding Stitch Above the Rest in 2003, Elizabeth has honed her craft through continuous education and hands-on experience, earning recognition as a trusted leader in the industry. Her commitment to detail and her ability to bring her clients’ visions to life have made her a go-to expert, transforming homes and spaces with designs that inspire and delight.
Blaine owns and leads ADR (Artisan Drapery Rod). He bought the company in 2017. It was an established and respected business with excellent customer relationships and talented people.
Blaine is hands on and has been carefully guiding the organizational, operational, sales and marketing, and financial aspects of ADR. He is strengthening the company’s presence in the industry and positioning it for continued growth.
Jennifer Looney has 25 years experience providing window coverings and a wide variety of design services. She is an award-winning specialist who supplies unique blinds and shades, soft home fashions, design and remodeling services. Jennifer has a vast portfolio of clients. She has completed design projects for Fortune 500 executives, some of the country’s most talented music and athletic industry professionals and hundreds of families throughout the southeast to meet their home design and decor needs. Her company, JLS Designs, is backed by an international network of vendors and suppliers.
Jennifer is a graduate of Texas Tech University and holds a degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising. In her free time she enjoys painting, gardening, cooking, reading, crafting and being outdoors. Jennifer has served on numerous boards and spent countless hours as a volunteer serving the local school district and other special interests.
Jill Ballew launched High Country Drapery Designs in 2015 after many years of working in the home industry. As an entrepreneur, she began to focus on the quality and construction of her products and gave special focus to honing her own design skills.
High Country Drapery Designs offers a unique customer experience and approaches each project holistically. As the owner, Jill continues to be well-versed on current design trends while bringing a fresh, Southern feel to her beautiful designs.
Julie Murphy is the owner of Designer Draperies of Boston, a full service to the trade workroom. She began her foray into the art of window treatment fabrication as the sole proprietor of a home based business in 2006. It was only natural that her passion fed a desire to expand capacity to meet the needs of her growing clientele.
In 2014, she purchased Designer Draperies of Boston and merged the two businesses. She has tripled the size of her team and revenue since the transfer of ownership and continues to serve some of the top designers in the Boston area, as well as out of state interior design firms.
Thomas Berry | Director at Large
Email | Website
Thomas Berry is the Chief Executive Officer for Helser Brothers. He came to this industry with little knowledge of the window treatments industry but brought with him years of experience in engineering, marketing, and entrepreneurship that have been invaluable. Each one of those previous paths has helped him to grow Helser Brothers year over year while maintaining our core values: Integrity, Innovation, Pride, and Devotion.
He is proud of the fact that his career has allowed him to invent new products, find go-to-market strategies that increased our profitability, and developed brand strategies that continue to help us expand our reach to thousands of customers across the country. Outside of these achievements, he is also an avid reader, enjoys outdoorsmanship, and love to travel! He has a goal of visiting all fifty states in the next few years and have 60% of them marked off my list already.
Like Cheryl’s Southern roots, her love for design runs deep. Since 2012, Dwell by Cheryl Interiors has kept clients raving about Cheryl and her team’s ability to transform homes into classic, colorful, cultured, and cozy spaces.
In addition to designing for residential clients, Cheryl brings the classic style, cultured details, and charming flair she is known for to collaborations with major brands in the home furnishings and design industry. Her product designs span lighting, accent furniture, home décor, and textiles and are currently available through Wildwood Home and Revolution Fabrics.
Cheryl’s work and expertise have been widely recognized. She is a recipient of the 2024 Who’s Who in Black Charlotte Game Changer Award and was named to the Designers Today 2025 Power List. She has also been recognized by Axios as one of the Best Designers in Charlotte and has earned the Best of Houzz Award every year from 2016 through 2025. Her work has been featured in Southern Home, Traditional Home, HGTV Magazine, Architectural Digest, Forbes, The Washington Post, and Southern Living, among others.
Jessica Harling is a process architect turned people strategist who helps creative businesses scale with clarity, confidence, and heart. As Founder and CEO of Behind the Design, she blends deep operational expertise with emotional intelligence to build high-performing teams without sacrificing culture.
A proud fourth-generation window covering professional, Jessica was raised in her family’s Chicago-based business founded in 1936 that is still thriving today. She earned her expertise the long way, holding roles across sales, business development, and operations, giving her a rare, firsthand understanding of what it takes to grow and sustain a trade-based business. Today, she helps firms systemize success by aligning people, process, and purpose, proving that structure and soul can coexist.
WCAA Staff
Renee Gurganus is a native of Augusta, Georgia and now lives in beautiful Wilmington, NC. With over 20 years of leadership experience in the non-profit and for-profit sector, Renee brings a wealth of knowledge to the WCAA.
Previously she was the Executive Director of a community organization in Murrells Inlet, SC, where she lead the organization in a new Strategic Plan that they continue to use today.
After becoming the Executive Director of the WCAA, Renee began working with the Board of Directors on a new Strategic Plan as well as rebranding the organization.