Gift for Life announced this week that Doug Self, Russ Jones, Deb Swisher and Chad Howard have joined its board of directors. The organization is the leading charitable organization for the gift, stationary and home decor industries.
“These new board members are true industry leaders with a wealth of talent,” said George Kacic, Chair of the Gift for Life Board. “We are honored to welcome them and to put them to work at industry events across the U.S., spreading the word and raising funds in support of Gift for Life’s critical mission.”
Doug Self is Founder and President of JDouglas, a to-the-trade multi-brand sales agency he launched in 2001 with showrooms at AmericasMart and High Point. He currently serves on the AmericasMart Advisory Board and is a member of Accessories Resource Team (ART). In 2016, he was awarded the GHTA/Gift for Life Honor of Excellence at ICON Honors. He is also the Founder and owner of Provision Oxford, a retail lifestyle boutique in Oxford, MS. “I am looking forward to working with everyone on the Gift for Life board,” Self said. “We can accomplish a lot, and I am hopeful of contributing to advancing this organization.”
Russ Jones is Luxe Home & Hospitality Representative for Ivystone. Jones had a successful career in show business as a singer and dancer on Broadway before opening a gift store called Flights of Fancy for 10 years on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Jones has worked with Ivystone for the last 12 years as a home & hospitality Sales Representative, working with key accounts and retail stores along with hundreds of New York City design and architectural firms. “I am excited and honored to join the board,” Jones said. “I’m really looking forward to see what I can add and bring to this great organization.”
Deb Swisher serves Creative Co-op as National Sales Manager of the Bloomingville brand, one of the top decorative accessory brands in the European market now expanding into the U.S. market. Her career in the gift and home industry began over three decades ago at an independently owned Hallmark Store in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 2001, Swisher began in wholesale as a Sales Representative with CBK, and in 2003 was promoted to National Sales Trainer followed by Regional Vice President. In 2012, she became Director of Sales at Langley Empire Candle. Swisher says she is “happy and honored to be part of this fantastic organization! Looking forward to meeting everyone I have not had the pleasure to cross paths with yet.”
Chad Howard is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for Sanger & Eby, a strategic design and development agency that works with a range of companies including retailers like Barneys, Bloomingdales and Macy's. Previously he served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Up With Paper/UWP LUXE. Prior to Up With Paper, Howard led business development for POSSIBLE Worldwide, one of the world’s largest digital agencies. Prior to POSSIBLE, Howard spent 7 years leading business development and public relations for luxury online and catalog retailer FRONTGATE. “It’s truly an honor to be included among such a dynamic board of talented and passionate leaders in our industry,” Howard said. “I’m very excited to roll my sleeves up and start work hard to raise awareness around our cause!”
