HOUSTON, TX — Suzie Williford, vice president of sales for Houston-based Kiva Kitchen & Bath, will be inaugurated as the 2009 National Kitchen & Bath Assn. (NKBA) president by the Gulf Coast Chapter of the NKBA on Saturday, Jan. 31 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriot at The Woodlands, TX. Candice Olson, known for her role on HGTV’s Divine Design, will speak at the lunch sponsored by Cosentino, the maker of Silestone.

Williford has also stated four goals for the NKBA in 2009. The first goal is for the NKBA to provide the most targeted professional development courses in the industry for members to learn how to strengthen their businesses in this challenging economy. The NKBA’s educational offerings will also be diversified in order to benefit NKBA members across all industry segments.

Second, the 2009 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show (K/BIS) will become even more vital to industry professionals. To be held from April 30 to May 3 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, K/BIS will provide more valuable business conference sessions than ever before, according to the NKBA.

Williford’s third goal is to enable NKBA members to reduce their expenses and increase revenues through third-party affinity programs. Whether cutting costs on transaction processing or increasing sales through consumer financing or lead generation, members of the NKBA will benefit from NKBA affinity programs in 2009.

The fourth and final goal that Williford has set forth is to place a renewed focus on leadership opportunities for its members. The influence and prestige that comes with serving as a leader in the NKBA, in a role such as a chapter officer on a local level or as an industry segment advisory council member on the national level, shows commitment and dedication to the industry, the NKBA says.

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