MIA Sets 2003 Direction

CLEVELAND – The Marble Institute of America (MIA) took on new leadership – and set the tone for promoting natural stone this year – during its annual meeting last December in Baltimore.
The stone trade group elected Richard Booms, president of Booms Stone Co. in Redford, Mich., as its new president, succeeding Robert Stasswender of Southwest Marble and Granite Works Inc. in Austin, Texas.
“I am honored to serve MIA in this new role, and I am excited about the opportunities ahead for increasing MIA’s size and influence,” says Booms, who’s worked in the natural-stone industry for more than two decades.
Expansion of the MIA’s efforts will be fueled by proceeds from a dues increase unanimously approved at the annual meeting by the membership. It’s the first increase for the Cleveland-based trade group in a decade.
“MIA members have demonstrated their full support of our efforts to more-aggressively promote natural stone to consumers and design professionals,” Booms says. “Additional funds will also help us to increase the association’s visibility and services to members.”
The new president also praised Stasswender’s efforts in leading the group in 2002.
“Bob played a critical role in steering MIA through a year of many changes,” Booms says.
The MIA also showed marked improvement in its Cornerstone Forum seminars, also held in early December during StonExpo 2002 in Baltimore.
“Forum attendance reached nearly 1,800 this year, up more than 250 from 2001,” says Garis F. Distelhorst, MIA’s Executive Vice President. “That included many architects, who had the opportunity to earn up to 20 continuing education learning units in health, safety and welfare.”
Distelhorst added that the MIA attracted more than two-dozen new members during StonExpo 2002.
Paul Vigna of Artisan Tile and Marble of New Jersey in Somerset, N.J., is the new MIA vice president. Scott Lardner of Rocky Mountain Stone Co. in Albuquerque, N.M., will serve as secretary, and the 2003 treasurer is Kenny Krebs of Tennessee Tile & Marble Company Inc. in Hermitage, Tenn.
The group also added two new directors: Vic Green of VIC International Corp. in Knoxville, Tenn., and Jesus Gonzalez of Marble World SA de CV in Garza Garcia, Mexico.
Continuing MIA directors are Nancy Dunn of Clervi Marble Co. in San Francisco; Anthony Ieraci of Ciot Imports Company Ltd. in Montreal; Abraham Mekuria of Mitin Pvt. Ltd. Mining Co. in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Mark Shedrofsky of Stone Source in New York; Mario Pisani of Pisani Brothers SpA in Avenza-Carrara, Italy; and Jack Seiders in an at-large capacity.
In other actions, the MIA board also adopted an updated code of ethics.

©2003 Western Business Media Inc.