On Dec. 2, Robert “Bobby” Kempler (pictured, right), president of Richline Group’s jewelry division, was elected chairman of the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York at its annual membership meeting.
He takes over from Jeffrey H. Fischer, Fischer Diamonds, who had completed his three-year term chairing the club.
Other officers elected include Edward DeCristofaro, LDC Inc. (pictured, below), who will serve as the club’s new president; and Jeffrey Cohen, Citizen Watch Co., who was chosen to be its vice president.
John Kennedy, Jewelers’ Security Alliance, will serve as secretary; Jeffrey Bergman as treasurer; and Charles Stanley, head of Forevermark US, as board member at large.
The 24 Karat Club’s annual banquet, typically held the second Saturday in January, will not be held in 2021 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
This is the sixth time in the club’s 118-year history that the banquet will not be held. It was previously canceled in 1918 because of World War I and the influenza pandemic; in 1932, 1933, and 1934 because of the Great Depression; and in 1943, during World War II.
The prestigious club also inducted six new members: Matthijs Braakman, CEO of SmartWork Media; Timothy Coggins, senior vice president of Bank of Rhode Island; Nathalie Diamantis, president and CEO of Pomellato USA; Sally Morrison, director of public relations for natural diamonds for De Beers Group; Kristie Nicolosi, president and CEO of the Kingswood Company; and Roger H. Gesswein III, jewelry division manager of Gesswein USA and SIAM.
(Photos courtesy of the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York)
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