Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Windward Expands Executive Team with 3 New Hires
December 2,
2021 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
Sarasota, Fla.- based designer and manufacturer of casual outdoor furnishings Windward has announced the expansion of its corporate executive team with the addition of Chad Desmett as operations manager, Lisa Cobert as human resources manager and Steve Waszazak as information technology manager.
“These three consummate professionals bring to the Windward organization an energy and expertise that will be a tremendous asset as our company continues to grow,” said Rachel Peace, CIO. “We welcome each as a valuable resource in our efforts to position Windward as a leading casual furnishing brand.”
Desmett joins the company with an incredible track record of ramping up and managing multiple successful high-level furniture manufacturing plants in the U.S. He has been tasked with improving performance and quality processes as well as supervising supply chain and inventory. Oversight of budgeting, workflow and staffing also are responsibilities of his position within Windward. Originally from Pennsylvania, Desmett now resides in Florida with his six-month-old daughter. He is proud of being a part of a family owned company that relentlessly pursues quality and continues to bring jobs back to America.
With over 25 years as a Human Resources professional, Cobert has led HR practices and provided employee-oriented, high performance business cultures emphasizing productivity, standards, goal attainment, recruitment, and development of superior work forces. Cobert, who holds a SPHR certification, resides in Sarasota with her husband of 34 years.
“Being given an opportunity to be a part of WINDWARD has been such a blessing for me,” said Cobert. “To know that I can play a part in the future success of a “Made in America” organization, makes every day purposeful.”
Waszazak bring over 25 years of technology expertise to his position as Windward’s IT Manager. He comes to Windward from Amazon and is a seasoned expert in using technology to positively impact customer experience and drive business value. He is a member of InfraGard, which is a partnership between the FBI and the private sector. Outside of work, Waszazak is a loving father and highly passionate about the outdoors.