Furniture First Ignite Conference Reveals Art Scholet Chairman’s Club

June 14, 2026  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

Jessica Smith, officer at Talsma Furniture and vice chairman of the Furniture First board of directors, prefaced the announcement by saying “In every successful business or organization, there are times when you need to step back and look where you are, then make difficult decisions. Growth doesn’t happen without change, and that can mean rethinking how things are structured, so you are better prepared for the future. For Furniture First that happened about 11 years ago. It took a group of dedicated leaders who were willing to do the work, ask the questions, and make decisions with the long-term success of the membership in mind. But none of this happens without strong leadership… an effective chairman.”

Kyle Deets, owner of Deets Furniture and chairman of Furniture First’s board, announced the honor to the attendees of the buying group’s Ignite Conference by saying “…A few years back Furniture First needed a reset. A more structured Governance Model needed to be formalized and acted upon. At that time there really wasn’t one. Over many drafts and over time a Governance Model was formulated and it’s the same guiding principles that the board follows today. The task of getting this accomplished fell upon a few individuals, led by the right chairman at the right time, and that person was Art Scholet.”

A visibly moved Scholet thanked both Deets and Smith as he acknowledged the honor.

Preceding the Ignite conference, Furniture First held its annual General Membership Meeting. At the meeting Furniture First CEO Andrew Kauffman recognized the contributions of Eric Sinclair, owner of Montgomery Furniture in Madison, SD. Sinclair served on the board of directors for 10 years, including a stint as chairman of the board. Sinclair was instrumental in the development of the buying group’s High Point building which opened in October 2023.

While retiring from a voting position on the board of directors, Sinclair will serve as a special advisor to the board, along with Tom Schwaab, owner of Howell Furniture in Beaumont, Texas. Montgomery Furniture has been a member of Furniture First since 2001.

Board service at Furniture First is term limited but can be renewed when an individual serves on the executive committee.

Continuing in his role of chairman of the board of directors is Kyle Deets, owner of Deets Furniture in Norfolk, NE, a Furniture First member since 2001.

Also continuing their roles on the executive committee of the board are:

Jessica Smith of Talsma Furniture in Hudsonville, MI continues to serve as the vice chairman. Talsma has been a member since 1999.

Travis Turner of Turner Furniture Company in Avon Park, FL continues to serve as secretary. Turner has been a member since 2015.

Jack Steger of Steger’s Furniture in Pekin, IL continues to serve as treasurer. Steger’s has been a member since 2013.

One retailer started a new term on the board of directors of the cooperative:

Rhonda Prendergast of Blowing Rock Furniture Gallery in Blowing Rock, NC (Member since November 2023)

Furniture First is a national cooperative buying group serving full-line independent retailers with sales over $2 million. Collectively, the group sells $3 billion at retail. Furniture First will have representatives at the Las Vegas Market in the showroom of bedding supplier partner, 3Z Brands at B1380. For more information on Furniture First Membership, please visit www.JoinFurnitureFirst.com or call 800-411-3477.