The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) held its annual luncheon on Jan. 11, 2002, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. The keynote speaker was Alan Eastham from the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs of the U.S. State Department.

Executive director Cecilia Gardner noted that JVC’s efforts in 2001 included assistance with underkarating projects in New York and elsewhere; new member materials including a door sticker and consumer brochure; and a newly developed Web site (www.jvclegal.org) that includes search engines for consumers and the trade.

During the luncheon, New York Assistant District Attorney Leslie Neustadt of the Consumer Frauds Bureau was honored with the first annual Stanley Schechter Award for her outstanding work, particularly in the underkarating project.

In other news, JVC recently inducted new officers and board members for two-year terms. The new officers are: president—Hank B. Siegel, president, Hamilton Jewelers; vice president—Laurence R. Grunstein, president, Citizen Watch Co. of America Inc.; secretary—Michael W. Paolercio, co-chairman, Michael Anthony Jewelers Inc.; and treasurer—Steven Kaiser, president, Kaiser Time Inc.

New members of the board of directors are: Babette Goodman Cohen, I.B. Goodman; Joel Schechter, Honora; Beryl Raff, J.C. Penney; Mary Forte, Zales; John Bridge, Ben Bridge Co.; Aron Suna, Shreve & Co.; Esther Fortunoff, Fortunoff’s Fine Jewelry; Koichi Takahashi, Mikimoto; Meg Ostrum, Sears; Robert Bridel, AGS; Susan Eisen, Susan Eisen’s Fine Jewelry; Callum Barton, Richemont; Charles D. Lein, S’West/Stuller; and Ollie Keene, Helzberg Diamonds.