Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2016 - 66

NEW YEAR, NEW NKBA

B Y B I L L D A R C Y,
NKBA CEO

The start of the new year was the start of a new era at the National Kitchen &
Bath Association (NKBA). For the first time in more than 25 years, the NKBA has
changed its governance structure. There has been a lot of change in 25 years - from
technological developments to globalization to generational shifts. Entities of all
kinds need to evolve continuously to remain relevant.
Trade associations are different than for-profit businesses, given our volunteerled structure. By our very nature, associations move deliberatively and collaboratively. Today's most productive associations move deliberatively, collaboratively
and quickly.
Our challenge was to find a way to make it easier for all segments of the kitchen
and bath industry to contribute while achieving strategic goals that benefit members. In many ways, the NKBA has risen to that challenge. Our volunteers have
been truly visionary in identifying three key initiatives:
 Raise the professionalism of the industry by providing relevant lifelong
learning in design and safety, talent management and all aspects of running
a successful business.
 Establish NKBA expertise within kitchen and bath markets internationally.
 Maintain a healthy and vibrant KBIS as the North American hub of the
kitchen and bath industry, launching products, ideas and design inspiration.
We have achieved tremendous results in a relatively short time. We reinvented
KBIS, launched NKBA University, introduced new industry research and have
developed international opportunities. The next logical step was to review what
we could be doing to make it even better.
When John Petrie, our 2014 president, first appointed a task force to review our
governance, one of the first things that stood out were the silos. While it seemed
the NKBA was representative of the entire kitchen and bath industry within our
11 segments, the unintended consequence hindered collaboration. An association
consultant who helped us through the process noted that each segment worked

independently on ideas, and then everyone had to come together to sort out ideas
and make decisions.
"It's difficult to break everyone into segments, then bring them back together and
say 'unify,'" the consultant told us. That was a major "a-ha" moment.
After reviewing best practices from 18 associations, the NKBA Member Task
Force recommended a new national governance structure that not only eliminated
silos but focused on the needed skill sets to govern NKBA toward achieving its
strategic goals. The new structure is:
 A nine-member Board of Directors with strategic and fiduciary responsibility
 A five-member Leadership Recruitment Committee; designed as a "365"
team to identify, recruit and recommend volunteers to the Board of Directors
with the skill sets to advance our strategic goals
 A non-voting Generative Council of up to 25 members that acts as a source
of information and opinions in support of the Board of Directors
 A five-member Chapter Leadership Committee that will work directly with
the grassroots Chapter Reps
Task Force Chair and 2013 President John Morgan undertook the task of
communicating the proposal to the membership. Following change leadership
best practices, he worked to help members understand what the task force had
learned - literally bringing everyone along to walk in the shoes of the task force.
Our membership experienced the same "a-ha" moments to evaluate the pros and
cons and, most important, to feel the excitement the task force could see that was
within our reach.
In November 2014, our Board of Directors unanimously passed the new governance structure. Throughout 2015, the volunteers and our NKBA team at headquarters have been working side-by-side to affect this change and keep the lines
of communication flowing in all directions. We couldn't be more pleased with the
diversity of volunteers who have now stepped up to contribute: long-time members
and new members representing all segments.
No one ever said change is easy, so it is with great admiration that I applaud our
leadership for ushering in a new era at NKBA. Only one key question remains:
How will YOU be involved?

THE NKBA'S 2016 CHAIRMAN & BOARD OF DIRECTORS

As part of the new governance structure, the NKBA's nine-person Board of Directors will work with CEO Bill Darcy
to guide the NKBA into the future, effectively direct its resources and collaborate in a more effective, efficient manner.
Chairman - Mark Kovich

Vice Chairman - Lorenzo Marquez

WAY P OIN T L I V ING SPAC E S ®

COSENTINO NORTH AMERICA

Mark Kovich has spent 24 years working for manufacturers of products for the kitchen and bath industry. He has
served the NKBA at the national level for the past seven
years, most recently holding the position of chairmanelect on the Executive Committee. Kovich also served
on the Board of Directors as a member-at-large. During
his three-year term, he chaired the Nominating Committee and served on the
CEO Compensation Committee and the Governance Task Force. He also served
as the chairperson for the Advisory Council of Manufacturers. Kovich is currently
vice president of sales and marketing for Waypoint Living Spaces,® a division of
American Woodmark. Waypoint Living Spaces is the proud sponsor of the NKBA
Student and Professional Design Competitions.

Lorenzo Marquez is vice president of marketing for
Cosentino North America. In this role, he oversees all
marketing, public relations and digital strategies for
Cosentino Group's portfolio of brands in the U.S and
Canadian markets. Marquez has been instrumental in
overseeing Cosentino's expansion in North America over
the last 12 years, which now accounts for more than 35 Cosentino Centers, and
the global launch of an entirely new brand, Dekton by Cosentino. Marquez joined
Cosentino in 2003 after receiving a degree in entrepreneurship from the University
of Houston and working for Levi Strauss & Company also in marketing. He has
previously served on the NKBA Board of Directors and the KBIS Advisory Council
and is an active member of the A+D and Kitchen & Bath communities.

Kitchen & Bath Business / JAN. 2016 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official sponsor of KBIS (KBIS.com)

http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.KBIS.com

Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2016

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