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WithIt Honors Excellence in Industry
August 18,
2010 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Special Events on August 19, 2010
WithIt honored its recipients of the 2010 WOW Awards Wednesday night at its annual education conference in Charlotte, N.C.
Kathy Wall, president of
The Media Matters, was awarded the 2010 Mentoring Award acknowledging advocacy, development and promotion of women in a home and furnishings business.
Jay Reardon, president of
Hickory Chair, was the recipient of the 2010 Education Award recognizing efforts to educate associates, retailers or consumers about the home furnishings segment.
WithIt bestowed four Future Leader Awards because each of the women had accomplished much during a challenging business environment, said Dawn Brinson, 2010 WOW Awards committee co-chair.
"Each Future Leader Award recipient has pulled a company, and an industry, upward into the opportunities of the present," Brinson said. "And each has pushed a business even further forward into possibilities of the future."
The four recipients were: Rene Crosby, senior account executive for
Four Hands; Kristin Hawkins, new product development stage gate manager at
Broyhill Furniture Inds.; Vanessa Northrop, marketing director for
City Furniture; and Kaci Prunty, retail marketing manager with
Tempur-Pedic North America.
Catherine Frinier, principal and managing partner of Frinier Atelier, was named the 2010 President's Award recipient.
Mary Frye, president of the
Home Furnishings Independents Association, was honored with the 2010 Chairman's Appreciation Award. "Mary has opened the doors and mentored many women in our industry," said Stephanie Lowder, 2010 WithIt president.
Julie Phillips, vice president and co-founder of
the Phillips Collection, was presented the organization's 2010 Legacy Award. The honor recognizes Phillips' professional achievements and significant lifetime contributions to the home and furnishings industries.
Julie is original, tenacious, sensitive to nuance and passionate about quality, said Mark Phillips, Julie Phillips husband and business partner, and awards presenter during the ceremony. She has won best showroom awards in every city she has worked, including High Point, Las Vegas, Dallas and Singapore.