ROMAN RETIREMENT DINNER TO AID JA/PRATT PROGRAM

Jewelers of America will honor Director Emeritus Michael D. Roman for his service to the industry at a benefit dinner Sunday, Feb. 4. The event will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Tavern on the Green, Central Park West and 67 St., New York City.

Roman served as executive director of JA for 20 years until his retirement in September. He continues to serve the association in an advisory capacity as director emeritus.

The dinner in his honor will include entertainment and remarks by industry leaders. Proceeds will benefit the JA/Pratt Institute Degree Program, a project Roman helped to develop. The new program will lead to bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in jewelry management and design.

The dinner is open to any industry member. Tickets are $150 each and are available by contacting Cynthia Di Caro, Jewelers of America, 1185 Ave. of the Americas, 30th Fl., New York, N.Y. 10036; (800) 223-0673.

APPOINTMENTS

Wittnauer International announced that Greg Delgado, vice president of sales and marketing, and Max Beschloss, vice president of advertising, will retire at the end of the year. Bob Sapienza, currently working in special markets, will become vice president of sales operations, responsible for a redefined Sales Administration Group that will include retail and special markets. Liz O’Brien will take on overall sales responsibility for awards and incentives business as director of sales, special markets.

Richard A. Jolosky was named chairman and chief executive officer of Silverman’s Jewelers, El Paso, Tex. He formerly was chief executive of The Richard Allen Co., a marketing and retail consulting company he founded in Scottsdale, Ariz., to provide services to retailing, manufacturing and import companies.

Peggy Ann Wallace was named director of planned giving for the Gemological Institute of America’s development campaign. Formerly a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch, Wallace is a member of the bar in California, Colorado and Massachusetts and served as in-house counsel at major financial institutions in Boston and Denver. She also has designed and created colored gemstone necklaces.

Colibri named Phillip Krauss director of marketing for timepieces. Krauss formerly specialized in the sourcing and marketing of clocks and watches at Gruen Marketing Corp., Secaucus, N.J.

Stephen Dann was named vice president of sales and marketing at Asch-Grossbardt Inc., New York, N.Y. He was formerly president of Dase Jewelers Inc., a marketing group in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Michael J. Bush was named to the new position of executive vice president, chief operating officer of North American Watch Corp. He was previously senior vice president of marketing and strategic planning at Ross Stores Inc., Newark, Cal.

Donald Hamann, owner of Sartor-Hamann Jewelry in Lincoln, Neb., is the new chairman of Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co., Neenah, Wis. He has served on the Jewelers Mutual board since 1981.

Aurafin Corp. appointed Allen E. Tucker president and chief operating officer. Tucker started and built Calvin Klein’s Menswear from 1974 to 1982. He later founded K.C. Consulting Ltd., whose clients included Anne Klein and Ellen Tracy. Most recently, he was executive vice president of Crystal Brands, a holding company with the Monet, Trifari, Izod and Gant brands. Aurafin founder Michael H. Gusky now holds the positions of chairman and chief executive officer.

John Ryan was named vice president of sales and administration at Linden, the clockmaking division of Colibri, Providence, R.I. He formerly was general manager of Bulova’s clock division. Ryan is responsible for all areas of administration, sales activities and national accounts. Rosemary Sharp, who has worked at Linden in several management positions, was appointed executive vice president of marketing and merchandising. She is responsible for development of products, displays and merchandising.

OBITUARIES

Julius Cohen, 81, a designer of fine jewelry, died recently in New York, N.Y. Cohen worked for Harry Winston from 1942 until 1955, when he started his own company. Cohen won first-place Diamonds International Awards in 1957, 1958 and 1959.

Zane A. Gray, 69, owner of Gray’s Jewelry in Lebanon, Ohio, died July 9. He celebrated 45 years in business in June 1995.

Robert Laudick, 79, founder of Laudick’s Jewelry, died Sept. 21 in Van Wert, Ohio. Laudick Jewelry was founded April 1, 1950, and is now operated by Laudick’s son and daughter-in-law.

Howard C. Miller, 90, founder of the Howard Miller Clock Co., the nation’s largest clock manufacturer, died in September in Holland, Mich. Based in Zeeland, Mich., Miller’s business has designed and manufactured grandfather, wall and mantel clocks for 69 years.

Pauline H. “Peggy” Newton, 77, president of Newton’s Jewelry Corp. and its Eurasia Diamond Co. subsidiary in Marshalltown, Ia., died Sept. 14, in Waterloo, Ia.

Helen Gossage Trapp of Lafayette, Tenn., co-owner and operator of Trapp Jewelers, died recently at age 81.