CRI Announces 2025 Leadership at Annual Meeting

Dalton, GA, November 13, 2024-The CRI annual meeting was held November 13.

At the event, the 2025 CRI board of directors was announced: (manufacturer seats) Jay Brown, Bentley Dan Frierson, Dixie; Bob Shaw, Engineered Floors; Tom Pendley, Mannington; Patrick Keese, Milliken; Joe Semaan, Mohawk; Tim Baucom, Shaw; Winn Everhard, Tarkett NA; (associate manufacturer seats) Franco Rossi, Aquafil; Marc Ammen, Universal Fibers; and Chip Howalt, Textile Rubber & Chemical.

The year’s board officers are Baucom, chairman, suceeding Pendley; Semaan, vice chariman, succeeding Baucom; Becky Boley, treasurer; Russ DeLozier, CRI president and Michelle Freshour, CRI secretary.

The transfer of power is at the year's end.

2025 policy committee members are Frierson, Shaw, Pendley, Keese, Semaan, Baucom and Howalt.

The board approved a $5.7 million annual budget.

In addition, at the event, CRI awarded industry leaders John Bradshaw (Shaw Industries), Ashley Young (Mohawk Industries) and Shawn McGill (Engineered Floors) with the 2024 Joseph J. Smrekar Memorial Award in recognition of their contributions to the carpet industry, including their efforts to engage EPR in the state of California. The award was presented during the CRI Annual Meeting.

Marking its 26th year, the Joseph J. Smrekar Memorial Award was established in 1998 by Milliken and Company to honor the late Dr. Joseph Smrekar, a longtime industry professional who set the standard for service to the CRI and the carpet industry.

This year’s Joseph J. Smrekar Memorial Award was presented by Russ DeLozier, president of The CRI, and industry veteran Joe Yarbrough, past president of The CRI and last year’s award recipient. Many past recipients of the Joseph J. Smrekar Memorial Award were present and recognized during the ceremony.

For the second year, The CRI commissioned Dalton artist Chris Beck to handcraft a award sculptured from recycled metal from a CRI member facility.

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