As the new season begins, new hires and promotions are announced in the industry. Read on for BOH’s monthly roundup of arrivals and departures in design, manufacturing and media.

Media & PR
Clinton Smith was appointed editor in chief of the C&G Media Group publications Hamptons Cottages & Gardens and New York Cottages & Gardens. Smith previously held editorial roles including editor in chief of Veranda, editor of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and editor at large for New England Home. This new role marks a pivot back to media after a recent stint as president of design consultancy firm Arcadian Projects and residential interiors firm Clinton Smith Studio.

New York–based trend forecasting agency Fashion Snoops promoted Jaye Mize to vice president of advisory and partnerships. Mize joined the company in 2005 in IT development, and most recently served as vice president of creative.

Birmingham, Alabama–based lifestyle magazine Flower has new leadership with the appointment of Karen Carroll as editorial director and Jennel O’Brien as publisher. Carroll was previously the vice president and editor in chief of Southern Accents and Entrée and has served as editor at large for Flower. O’Brien has been with Flower for eight years, most recently serving as associate publisher of sales and marketing.

The Consultancy PR, the New York– and Los Angeles–based firm that specializes in the design and lifestyle markets, announced two additions to their team: Vaishali Bajracharya, who joined as account coordinator after interning at communications firm LaForce, and new senior account executive Allison Gaber, who comes from PR agency 5WPR.

Design & Architecture
Venus Williams’s South Florida–based design firm V Starr welcomed Enrique Vela as its new principal. Before joining the firm, Vela was the principal and director of interiors at New York–based firm Olson Kundig. He will bring his experience in hospitality design as the firm expands its efforts in the hospitality sector.

New York–based MBH Architects promoted Helen Herrick and Abhijat Hukoo to principals. Herrick will be at the New York office. She joined the firm in 2020 as studio director and previously was the senior vice president and global head of store design for Capital One. Hukoo is the principal for the firm’s Mumbai and Bengaluru offices in India; prior to joining the company as a director in 2020, he served as the head of projects for the luxury jewelry company Nirav Modi.

Dallas-based architecture firm HKS has announced leadership changes at the top. Dan Noble, who served as president and CEO for 10 years, is now CEO and chairman. Sam Mudro fills Noble’s spot as president while retaining his role as CFO, a position he has held since joining the firm in 2015.

To the Trade
Linen and home decor company HiEnd Accents unveiled new leadership appointments. Melissa Walz joins the Irving, Texas–based company as vice president of sales after a stint as national sales manager for Anne Klein Footwear. Cynthia Zheng, the co-founder of the company, will transition from president to CEO. Jonathan He will assume the role of president after joining the company in 2021 as director.

British luxury rug brand The Rug Company announced Diane Pressler will be the new director of the brand’s Dallas showroom, overseeing regional sales and daily showroom operations. Pressler most recently served as the vice president of global trade sales and customer service for furniture, fabric and textile companies Perennials and Sutherland.

Atlanta-based lighting brand Currey & Company appointed Amanda Spence as director of accessories and portable lighting, a newly created position born out of the brand’s growth into the accessory category and expansion in table and floor lamps. Spence previously worked as a buyer for home decor company Napa Home & Garden, the merchandising director for brand strategy studio Domino Media Group and a buyer at Williams-Sonoma.

Retail & Manufacturing
Electrical and appliances manufacturer Legrand announced changes at the top following the retirement of John Selldorff, the president and CEO of Legrand North and Central America for the past 22 years. He’ll be succeeded by Brian DiBella, the current president of the data, power and control division, who has been with the company for over 20 years. Pam Hoppel, formerly vice president of trade and retail for Delta Faucet Company, has been appointed president of Legrand AV. Ratish Namboothiry was named vice president of sustainability and corporate social responsibility for North and Central America after holding the position of director of Innovation for Good & Sustainability at Kohler.

Spain-based sintered-stone surfacing manufacturer Neolith promoted Daniel Sánchez as CEO of Neolith North America. Sánchez joined the company in 2010 as the chief commercial officer.

Palliser, the Winnipeg, Canada–based furniture retailer, promoted Steve Ambeau to president. Ambeau has been with the company since 2021 and served as the chief marketing officer for Palliser and its EQ3 brand.

New Jersey–based fabric and textile manufacturer United Fabrics promoted Lindsey Josepayt to the newly created position of vice president of design and marketing. Josepayt interned at the company before joining full-time in 2009. She has been the director of design and marketing since 2013 and oversaw the company’s rebrand and website refresh.

James Ashley returns to Pennsylvania-based lighting, furniture and home decor company Elk Home as chief sales officer. Four years ago, Ashley was the company’s senior vice president of sales, and in the interim, he served as vice president of sales and marketing at lighting company Eurofase. He also has experience as vice president of sales for Casablanca Fan Company.

California–based tub manufacturer Hydro Systems hired Adriana D’Onofrio as the director of business development. She will be based in New York and will oversee the brand’s development in the hospitality sector. D’Onofrio recently was director of U.S. sales and business development at The Rug Company.

1stDibs appointed Everett Taylor to its board of directors. Taylor is the CEO of crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and previously was the CMO of online art marketplace Artsy.

Jamie Stern Furniture, Carpet, Leather and Fabric appointed two new sales representatives, Franco Santorelli for the Mid-Atlantic region and Laura Gutierrez Garcia for Southern California and Las Vegas. Santorelli was formerly a design and account manager for the company, and Gutierrez previously worked in sales for Emser Tile.

Room & Board for Business, the commercial arm of the furniture company, welcomed Jackie Schneider as business manager. Schneider has 20 years of experience in interior design, sales, and marketing, most recently holding the position of vice president of marketing for the Hearth & Home Technologies division of manufacturer HNI Corporation.

Virginia-based manufacturer Hooker Furnishings expanded its marketing leadership team. Cameron Cook-Sellers joins the company as vice president of brand marketing and communications after previously working as head of partnerships for Lowe’s.

Industry Organizations
Gold Collective, the network of Bay Area–based entrepreneurs, announced the appointment of Wendy Landau as New York director to expand the company’s presence in Manhattan. She is currently the sales director at Frederic magazine and spent 18 years at Condé Nast helping grow Architectural Digest.

The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation Inc. has elected new officers and board members for 2024. Steve Rusing, the executive vice president and president of U.S. sales at Tempur Sealy International, is the board president; Satya Tiwari, the president of Surya, is the first vice president; Jeremy Hoff, the CEO of Hooker Furnishings, is the second vice president; Dorothy Belshaw, the executive vice president and chief growth officer of Andmore, is the secretary-treasurer; Rachel Stewart, the president of Gardner White, is a new board of director; Karen McNeill, the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation’s CEO, will continue to be the board chairman.