The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF), a newly formed, nonprofit organization dedicated to the recruitment, scholarship and placement of professional floorcovering installers, has announced its board of directors. With representatives from retailers, training organizations, advocacy groups, distributors, and manufacturers, the new board members’ collective expertise will strengthen the FCEF and ensure the Foundation’s power to overcome the installation crisis that affects the flooring industry.
Spearheaded by the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), the FCEF’s initiative “We are Part of the Solution” is an industry-wide collaboration to solve the installation crisis. The formation of this board represents the breadth of industry participation and the depth of industry commitment. Scott Humphrey, CEO of the World Floor Covering Association, commented on the naming of the new board members, “I’m so grateful for the incredible experience and dedication these board members bring to our newly-formed organization. Their investment in this undertaking will help change the future of our industry forever.”
The FCEF Board of Directors includes:
• Scott Humphrey – World Floor Covering Association
• Ken Jackson – Shaw Industries Group, Inc.
• Karen Mendelson – Mohawk Industries
• Jeff Honkonen – Engineered Floors LLC
• Geoff Gordon – FUSE Commercial Flooring Alliance
• Joe Yarbrough – The Carpet and Rug Institute
• Robert Varden – International Certified Flooring Installers Association
• Dean Thompson – The Resilient Floor Covering Institute
• Kevin Gammonley – North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors
• Michael Martin – National Wood Flooring Association
• Bart Bettiga – National Tile Contractors Association
• Deb DeGraaf – World Floor Covering Association Chair
• Don Roberts – Retail Representative
ABOUT FCEF
The Floor Covering Education Council (FCEF) exists to lead a collaborative network of industry and educational partners aligned to support student development, training, certification, and transition into the flooring industry workforce.
ABOUT WFCA
The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), the official sponsor of The International Surface Event (TISE), is the floor covering industry’s largest advocacy organization, representing floor covering retailers, contractors and allied service providers throughout North America. The WFCA is a recognized leader in marketing research and industry programs for flooring professionals. As part of its mission to enhance the business environment for the independent flooring retailer the WFCA acquired the Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI) in an effort to resolve the industry’s largest issue – the shortage of qualified installers. The WFCA oversees the Floor Covering Business to Business (fcB2B) program, helping companies in the industry transition to an e-commerce platform for all business transactions. The WFCA also influences public policy affecting the floor covering industry and consumers. For more information about the WFCA, visit WFCA.org.
