Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
HFA Taps Shannon Williams as COO
October 1,
2020 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
The Home Furnishings Association (HFA) has named Shannon Williams its new chief operating officer. The announcement was made by Mark Schumacher, the association’s chief executive officer. Williams previously served as vice president of strategy and performance.
“At HFA, we have a strong leader in Shannon Williams,” said Schumacher, who stepped up to the office of CEO from executive vice president following Sharron Bradley’s retirement Aug. 31. “Like me, Shannon joined the association in June of 2018, initially as director of the membership team before quickly taking on partnerships and marketing as well. Her skills in strategy, innovation and team building were obvious from the start.”
“Through the pandemic, the entire HFA team has been supporting members and serving them in new and meaningful ways, and Shannon’s leadership is a big part of those successes,” Schumacher added. “That is why I am pleased to announce that I am elevating Shannon to the role of chief operating officer. This move will further her influence on our team’s development and HFA’s impact on current and future retail members as we walk with them through this pandemic and beyond. I believe this move makes it clear that HFA is committed to retailers by providing solutions to their challenges, advocating for them from city hall to Capitol Hill, and helping grow their businesses.”
Williams was named one of Home Furnishings Business magazine’s “Forty Under 40” young leaders for 2019. The publication hailed Williams and the others on its list as “the best and brightest” and “a select group of individuals who are making decisions that will affect the course of the industry well into the future.”
Under her leadership, the HFA has signed more than 200 new members so far in 2020 – 30 percent more than the previous best year on record.
“Behind every strong industry, there is a strong trade association,” Williams said. “This organization has been bringing together retailers for 100 years to help them learn from each other. We are not a buying group or a profit center; we are the heartbeat of the industry. It starts with the retailers and the daily challenges they face. As staff, we are committed to getting them the resources, education, government advocacy and connections they need to become best-in-class retailers.”
“I've been lucky to get to know and work with our incredible retail members for two-and-a-half years,” she added. “My vision of who and what we need to be is constantly evolving as we understand the needs of retailers and what it really means to be the heartbeat of the industry. There is an incredible staff in place that is preparing to execute the members' vision.”
Williams works from the HFA’s office in Roseville, Calif. Schumacher is based in the High Point, N.C., office.