Margi Kyle Receives WithIt's President's Award

January 31, 2013  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Special Events on February 1, 2013

Women's home furnishings leadership network WithIt presented its 2013 WOW Awards during a dinner and reception event on the eve of Las Vegas Furniture Market.

The annual WOW Awards honor the achievements of home and furnishings professionals and businesses that embody the organization's mission. This was the first year the event took place during Las Vegas Market.

The President's Award went to WithIt Vice President of Networking Margi Kyle. Kyle has contributed to this industry as an interior designer, television host, mentor, keynote speaker, educator and writer. She has a long record of serving the industry, as owner/interior designer at The Designing Doctor, she has also served as past president of the Interior Design Society, past vice president of the Window Coverings Association of America, executive director for We Make Color Easy, board member for WithIt and professional member of the Color Association in United States. She is the founder of a North Carolina based children€™s charity, Little Smiles, a non-profit organization that grants wishes to hospitalized children. She is also the spokeswoman for Safety Shade; a revolutionary new product that eliminates the senseless and preventable deaths of children from the cords on window blinds.

€œEvery year the president of WithIt is asked to pick one woman from the organization who embraces, nurtures and leads those around her, one woman who goes above and beyond the call of membership, and this year€™s recipient is an unwavering, valiant guardian of all we hold dear as an organization,€ said Julia Rosien, 2012 WithIt president.

Margaret €œPeggy€ Traub, CEO and president of Adesso Inc., received the Founders/Lifetime Achievement Award for her commitment to WithIt and its mission to advance the careers of female professionals in the home and furnishings industries. As one of the founders of WithIt, Traub has performed an integral role in building WithIt, from nascent nonprofit to professional network comprised of hundreds of successful professionals.
 
€œPeggy€™s commitment to WithIt has no limits,€ said 2013 WithIt president Betty Lyn Eller, IMRE€™s vice president, home. €œShe provides invaluable counsel to the board, year after year, and she supports the organization€™s most vital initiatives, including, most recently, the relaunch of WithIt.org."

Other honorees recognized at the event include:
* Legacy Award: Kathy Ireland of Kathy Ireland Worldwide received the Legacy Award, celebrating Ireland€™s lifetime contributions to the home and furnishings industry.
* Mentoring Award: Ron, Greg and Don Wright of Wright Global Graphic Solutions received the Mentoring Award for their efforts to foster advocacy, development and promotion of women in their company and the industry.
* Education Award: Cheminne Taylor-Smith, vice president of communications for the High Point Market Authority, received the Education Award for her efforts to educate associates, retailers and consumers about home furnishings.
* Leadership Award: Kim Knopf of Innovative Mattress Solutions received the Leadership Award. In 2011, WithIt created the Leadership Award to recognize the contributions of a woman over age 40 who has demonstrated successful leadership in her company, WithIt and the home furnishings industry.
* Future Leadership Award: Kiersten Hathcock of Mod Mom Furniture received the Future Leader Award, which is bestowed upon a woman younger than 40 years old who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and the potential to become an industry leader.

The 2013 WOW Awards were made possible through the support of International Market Centers, Palliser Furniture and Wray Ward. The awards were presented in the SkyView Terrace of the World Market Center Las Vegas.