AMERICAN GEM SOCIETY HONORS AL WOODILL
The American Gem Society honored Al Woodill in June in recognition of his 40 years as executive director and his continuing support of the society.
The honor came during an open house that AGS held at its new headquarters in Las Vegas, Nev. Woodill, who headed the society from 1947 to 1987, was unaware he was about to be honored. As nearly 100 people gathered at the front of the building, Executive Director Tom Dorman unveiled a street sign reading “Woodill Way.” The society petitioned the city of Las Vegas to name the street in his honor.
ORT TO HONOR RACHEL TREITELMAN
Rachel Treitelman, a vice president at N.W. Ayer & Partners, New York, N.Y., will receive a Community Achievement Award from the Jewelry Industry Chapter of the American ORT at the organization’s annual dinner Oct. 19 in New York City.
Treitelman has worked at N.W. Ayer for 14 years and now is supervisor/industry liaison in the Diamond Marketing Group. She has served on the Women’s Jewelry Association board of directors and the Diamond Dealers Club of New York marketing and events committees and also is a member of the New York Jewelers Group and the Diamond Industry Steering Committee. She is active in a number of Jewish philanthropies, including the jewelry industry chapters of UJA-Federation, the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the American Jewish Committee. In 1986, she received the Crystal Prism Award from the Advertising Women to New York in recognition of her volunteer career counseling.
The Jewelry Industry Chapter supports the global network of ORT vocational/technical schools and programs for youngsters and adults. ORT provides job-training and placement programs for Russian and Ethiopian Jews who have resettled in Israel. In the U.S. ORT trains students at the Bramson ORT Technical Institute in New York, the Los Angeles ORT Technical Institute, the Zarem/Golde ORT Technical Institute in Chicago and at Jewish day schools in Atlanta and North Miami Beach.
For more information and reservations, call Gary Perl at (212) 677-4400, ext. 226.
BULOVA SCHOOL DEBUTS WHEELCHAIR TOURNAMENT
The Bulova Blazers, the wheelchair basketball team of the Joseph Bulova School in Woodside, Queens, N.Y., held a summer wheelchair basketball tournament June 24 to Aug. 16.
The event was open to any member of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association and involved four teams of players chosen by lottery.
“Being active is an important part of anyone’s life &endash; able-bodied or disabled,” says Michael DeOrio, athletic director at the school. “Since organized athletic activities for disabled athletes are limited, we felt it was important to supply an outlet to wheelchair-bound athletes this summer.”
AWI DEDICATES TOWER TO HENRY B. FRIED
The American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute, Harrison, Ohio, honored Henry B. Fried, internationally known horologist and JCK horological editor, by naming its clock tower for him. The institute’s research library also is named for Fried.
The honor took place as the institute marked its 35th anniversary and dedicated its new headquarters building in June. The dedication of the clock tower was funded by Dr. Fred and Isabel Beeler, students of Fried in the 1940s. Mrs. Beeler said she felt the tower dedication would be a fitting tribute to a man who means so much to them and others.
Fried’s career in horology has covered many disciplines, including teaching, industry consultant, expert witness, illustrator, lecturer, technical director and author. He has written 14 books, numerous pamphlets and hundreds of technical articles for JCK, AWI’s Horological Times and other publications. The institute still depends on Fried to answer difficult technical questions that the rest of the staff can’t, says Milton Stevens, AWI executive secretary.
Fried is a Fellow of the American Watchmaking Institute and a Silver Star Fellow of the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors. He also received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the United Horological Association of America and was the first American to receive the Silver Medal of the British Horological Institute.
APPOINTMENTS
Thomas A. Carter was named vice president of sales at J.O. Crystal Co. Inc., Long Beach, Cal. He is an electronic engineer and recently connected the company to the Internet e-mail system. The address is ramauras@aol.com.
Lou D’Amico was named manager of the GIA GEM Instruments’ showroom in New York, N.Y. He was formerly showroom manager for Rubin & Son’s showroom in New York City.
Kikuichiro Ishii was appointed president and chief operating officer of Mikimoto (America) Co. Ltd., New York, N.Y. Ishii, who oversees Mikimoto’s North American operation, was formerly manager of overseas operations at the parent company in Tokyo, Japan. He succeeds Minoru Tabata, who is now a consultant for the company.
Judy Laughren was promoted from managing director on the De Beers account at N.W. Ayer & Partners in New York, N.Y., to director of integrated marketing. Jim Haag, former group manager, succeeds Laughren as managing director.
Sandi Fabro was named marketing manager of Cadman Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Courtland, Ontario, Canada.
Denise J. Hancock was appointed communications coordinator for Inverness Corp., Fair Lawn, N.J. She was previously grants writer and coordinator of fund-raising at the John Harms Theater in Englewood, N.J.
Alana Hatfield was named vice president of sales at IWI Holding Ltd., Westmont, Ill. She previously worked in sales and product development for Finecraft Fine Jewelers. IWI also named Karen Robinson sales manager. She is a licensed jewelry appraiser.
Esquire Watch Co., Lyndhurst, N.J., a subsidiary of North American Watch Corp., promoted Steve Kessler from national sales manager to vice president of sales, Karen Freidman from national accounts manager to vice president of national accounts and Michael Benavente from vice president of sales to vice president of marketing and product development.
Laura Kirsner was named vice president/chief financial officer of Helzberg Diamonds, a jewelry store chain based in North Kansas City, Mo. She was formerly a corporate vice president and controller at Woolworth Corp., N.Y.
Eugene G. Lestardo was appointed chief operating officer of Holmes Protection Group Inc., New York, N.Y. He also will continue as president of Holmes Protection of New York Inc., the company’s largest subsidiary.
Jeffrey Levitt joined Frederick Goldman Inc., New York, N.Y., as corporate merchandise manager. He was previously president of Alfred Levitt and Son and executive vice president of Cordova Inc.
Reeds Jewelers Inc., a jewelry store chain based in Wilmington, N.C., promoted Pete Panos from district supervisor to regional supervisor of the Southeast; Robert Wilson Burford III from store manager to district supervisor over eight locations in Florida; Peter Pagano from store manager to district supervisor over eight locations in eastern North Carolina; and Melissa M. Paul from store manager to district supervisor over eight locations in Virginia.
Max M. Rafii was named manager of the environmental affairs department at David H. Fell & Co. Inc., City of Commerce, Cal. The new department was created to help small jewelers with local, state and federal regulations regarding hazardous waste in the precious metals industry.
UTime Co. Inc., New York, N.Y., hired two sales professionals to the launch team for its new watch brand, Gevril. Paul Sheldon is responsible for sales and marketing for the eastern U.S.; Randall Kershaw is his counterpart in the West.
Bob Schindler was appointed marketing and sales administration manager of the new Imaging Systems Division of Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co., Secaucus, N.J.
Irene Spector joined Chemical Bank’s Middle Market Banking Group in New York City. She is responsible for developing the bank’s relationships with the diamond and jewelry industry. She was formerly involved in the management and development of Bank Leumi’s jewelry industry portfolio.
Glenn Spiro was named to head Christie’s jewelry department in Los Angeles, Cal. Brooke Glassman was appointed assistant vice president and assistant jewelry specialist in the same department. She has worked at Christie’s Los Angeles operation since 1992 as a member of the special events and client services departments.
Richard Tyrrell was promoted to manager of Hamilton Jewelers’ Nassau St. store in Princeton, N.J. He was formerly precious jewelry manager for Neiman Marcus in Chicago, Ill.
Françoise Tschudin was appointed director of the CFH Institute in Lausanne, Switzerland. She is a gemologist, a CFH instructor and owner of Gemmologie Laboratoire Service Ltd. The institute offers a variety of courses to the retail watch and jewelry trade.
RETIREMENT
Pat Cadman retired from a senior management position with Cadman Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Courtland, Ontario, Canada. President Wes Dickenson attributed much of the 63-year-old company’s success to her involvement.
RESIGNATION
Keith L. Cook resigned from his position as chief operating officer of The Napier Co., Meriden, Conn.
HARRY WEXLER OF TOURNEAU DIES
Harry Wexler, industry leader and chairman of Tourneau, a luxury watch retailer located in New York City, died June 19 at age 82. He is survived by his wife, Betty, children Robert and Lois, and brother David, all of whom are active in the management of Tourneau, the century-old family business.
Wexler was founder and the first president of the Consolidated Jewelers Association of New York and a former president of the New York State Jewelers Association.
“To us at Tourneau, he was an inspiration, a dynamic leader, a wonderful person. We mourn a grievous loss,” said Anthony J. D’Ambrosio, Tourneau’s executive vice president.
OBITUARIES
Edna Earle Huddleston, 75, of Clinton, Miss., died June 25 of heart failure. She and her husband had owned Huddleston’s Jewelry in Clinton.
Ronald Reed Price, 48, of Phoenix, Ariz., a jeweler, died June 10.
Sidney Singer, 88, of New York, N.Y, died May 24. He was chairman of Finlay Fine Jewelry for more than 15 years, was a member of several industry associations and helped to found the Jewelry Industry Chapter of the American Jewish Committee.