Summer is around the corner, and the home industry seems to be surging with promotions and new appointments. Read on for Business of Home’s monthly roundup of arrivals and departures in design, manufacturing, media and more.

To The Trade

Artistic Tile has announced that founder and chairman of the board Nancy Epstein will take a step back from her day-to-day responsibilities to spend more time with family and pursue philanthropic causes. The brand has also announced a series of new appointments, including the promotion of Joshua Levinson to CEO—a position to which he brings more than 25 years of experience with the company, overseeing its expansion from a single retail space to a leader in fine tile and stone imports, distribution and retail. Other appointments include the promotion of Lauren Cherkas to president and chief sales officer following 16 years as the brand’s president of retail; Michael Epstein’s promotion to president and chief marketing officer after joining the brand in 2014 following a career in politics and civil service; and Zachary Epstein’s appointment to president and chief product officer.

Kate Buckley has joined design house F. Schumacher & Co. as sales and marketing manager. Previously, Buckley garnered nearly a decade of industry experience, most recently as a marketing specialist with high-end kitchen and bath manufacturer Waterworks.

Perennials and Sutherland LLC has named Diane Pressler as its new vice president of global trade sales, a role that will see her lead domestic and international sales strategy and growth for the Perennials, Sutherland and David Sutherland Showroom brands. Pressler’s previous experience includes serving as vice president of U.S. retail at NYX/L’Oréal, as well as in executive roles at Intermix, Gap Inc., and Marc Jacobs International.

At furniture rental and transition services provider CORT, Mike Davis has been promoted to president and chief operating officer. Davis joined company in 1997 at its San Francisco office, and has since held executive leadership positions in sales and operations, serving as COO since 2016. The company has also announced the promotion of Jon Hile to executive vice president of business strategy.

Stark welcomes Monika McCommon as its senior vice president of marketing and e-commerce, with a focus on building out brand and digital marketing capabilities. Also joining the team is Alexis Hurewitz in the role of director of digital marketing and merchandising, following a previous position with One Kings Lane.

Interior Image Group welcomes Indianapolis native Bill Wooten as senior vice president of sales in its Crown Point, Indiana, headquarters. Before joining IIG, he spent more than 20 years working for textile and wallcoverings manufacturer D.L. Couch.

Chris Happ has assumed the newly created role of CEO at MarketTime, a provider of B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions. Happ brings experience raising venture funding and establishing B2B networks, joining the company after co-founding startups such as Goby and blueSolutions.

Nourison has named Matt Key as director of project and design services for its hospitality business segment. Key will be based in the company’s design studio in Calhoun, Georgia, where he’ll be responsible for internal project management and design teams in both the U.S. and India.

International Market Centers has announced that William B. Furlong has joined the company in the newly created position of CEO of Juniper—IMC’s omnichannel B2B e-commerce platform. Furlong’s 25 years of experience in digital innovation and leadership include more than a decade spent with Expedia Group, during which time he oversaw business for the Vrbo/HomeAway vacation rental marketplace in the U.S.

Media & PR

Katy Olson has accepted a position as editorial director at Material Bank, the online marketplace for design and architectural product samples. Following Olson’s departure as editor of AD Pro last month, New York–based writer and editor Lila Allen has stepped into the role, bringing past experience as managing editor of Metropolis and content director at furniture startup Dims.

At Hudson One Media, Janice Browne has assumed the role of group publisher and chief revenue officer. Brown most recently served in the same position at Aspire One Communications, building on extensive home industry publishing experience with titles such as Galerie, New York Spaces and Luxe Interiors + Design.

The Consultancy PR has welcomed three new team members to its staff: Jill Mediatore joins the group as a senior account executive; Alexandra Scott comes aboard as an account manager; and Lilibeth Orozco has assumed the role of public relations coordinator. The firm has also announced one departure—former account coordinator Julia Deutsch is now on DKC’s lifestyle team as an account executive in support of brands like Apartment Therapy and Beautiful by Drew Barrymore.

Dena Skeadas has closed out her tenure with DKC and assumed a new role with Day One Agency.

The newly rebranded Jo Communications has announced the arrival of several new hires: Kimberly Writt joins the group as a PR strategist with more than a decade’s experience in brand strategy for interior, architecture and real estate clients; Spoorthi Satheesh, who has experience contributing to Hamptons and Metropolis magazines as well as the marketing efforts of NYCxDesign, has been hired as communications coordinator; and Maya Stallworth, whose past roles that include marketing coordinator at Spaces Real Estate and architectural firm Perkins Eastman, joins as an account coordinator. In other company news, former director of strategic communications Ciara Merouan has left the firm and accepted a new position as director of PR for Four Seasons Hotel Chicago.

UpSpring PR has brought on two new senior account executives: Alec Grossman, previously an account executive at BerlinRosen, and Grace Gathright, formerly an account executive at Astrsk PR.

Valerie Felski has finished her tenure at Allyson Conklin Public Relations, though she will continue to work with lifestyle brands in a freelance capacity moving forward. Felski’s experience includes a variety of roles in media, influencer marketing and social marketing for brands such as Kohl’s and Giorgio Armani, along with agencies like Marina Maher Communications and the Grey Global Group.

Paul Leggieri has joined the hospitality team at M18 PR as a senior director, following nearly five years spent with PR Consulting in a variety of leadership roles, including senior director.

Design & Architecture

Four new partners have joined the firm at Ferguson & Shamamian Architects: Stephen T. Chrisman, Thomas J. McManus, M. Damian Samora and Scott J. Sottile. In joining the executive committee, the new group will lead the firm alongside principals Andrés Blanco, Peter G. Francis and Andrew Oyen, along with founding partners Mark Ferguson and Oscar Shamamian.

Olson Kundig has announced the promotion of staff members John Riordan and Todd Matthes to principal. Matthes brings more than two decades of experience across a broad range of project types, while Riordan’s background includes more than 23 years designing high-tech workplaces for international technology companies.

RHG Architecture + Design has appointed Meg Nurre Mayell to the newly created role of studio manager and senior project architect. Mayell will oversee operational planning, development and execution of projects, contributing her 14-plus years of agency experience across global and domestic projects.

JCJ Architecture welcomes Nicole Dalton Williams as interiors project director in its Las Vegas office, where she will work alongside the hospitality and gaming design team to further JCJ’s reach in the Las Vegas market and beyond.

Rowland+Broughton Architecture/Urban Design/Interior Design has announced the promotion of four associate team members—Craig Lawrence, Will Otte, Leslie Cope and Steve Harris—to become owners alongside founders John Rowland and Sarah Broughton.

Manufacturing & Retail

International stationery and lifestyle brand Rifle Paper Co. has promoted its president, Trish Whalen, to CEO, and the company’s co-founder, Nathan Bond, will transition into the role of executive chairman.

Workplace and ergonomics furnishing company Humanscale has brought on Walther van Stipriaan as its newest chief financial officer with the goal of leading the brand’s growth in the residential market. Most recently, van Stipriaan served as CFO of global supply management at Stanley Black & Decker, after spending more than a decade in global financial roles at GE.

Samantha Cuello has concluded her time as special projects director at Business of Home, and will be moving on to a new position as head of business development for Boxi by Semihandmade. Cuello’s expertise in marketing, communications and B2B brand development in the high-end retail and design industries includes past positions at The Shade Store, Redbook and the New York Daily News.

The Wisconsin-based Bemis Manufacturing Company has announced that Vesla Hoeschen will serve as the next chairperson of the board of directors, assuming the role her father, Richard A. Bemis, held for many years. Hoeschen has worked at the company since 1992 in a number of positions, and now represents the Bemis family’s fourth generation in leadership.

Hannah Wickberg has departed her role in public relations and influencer marketing at West Elm following more than four years with the brand. Wickberg will join the in-house PR team for Ohio-based luxury home brand Arhaus.

Industry Organizations

The New School has named Renée T. White, Ph.D., as the university’s next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. An accomplished higher-education administrator and scholar on race, gender and social inequality, White most recently served as a professor of sociology and provost at Wheaton College. She will begin her new position on August 1, working to better integrate The New School’s transdisciplinary research, programs and creative practice with its commitment to advancing equity, inclusion and social justice within the university. White will succeed interim provost Stephanie Browner, Ph.D., former dean of the university’s Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, who will return to teaching and research projects following the transition.

Homepage image: Caroline Selfers